Perioperative allogenic blood transfusion and serum levels of immunosuppressive acidic protein in patients undergoing resection of colorectal carcinoma.

Serum levels of immunosuppressive acidic protein (IAP) were determined in 68 patients undergoing resection of colorectal cancer and 21 healthy subjects. Eighteen patients had perioperative transfusion of allogeneic blood (transfused patients) and 50 patients had no blood transfusion (nontransfused patients). Transfused patients had a higher incidence of nodal involvement, advanced disease, and noncurative surgery compared to nontransfused patients, but the difference did not reach a statistical significance. Hemoglobin concentration and serum albumin level were lower in transfused patients, although there was no statistically significant difference. Preoperative serum IAP level was higher in the patients with nodal involvement and advanced disease and those with moderately or poorly differentiated tumor, though this was not statistically significant. The preoperative serum IAP level was higher in patients than in controls, but the difference did not reach statistical significance. Serum IAP level rose immediately after the operation. In nontransfused patients, the serum IAP level returned to the preoperative value by three months after the operation. In contrast, the serum IAP level of transfused patients remained significantly higher than the preoperative value (P < 0.05) at three months after the operation. These findings indicated that perioperative transfusion of allogeneic blood elevated the serum IAP level for a considerable period after the operation.