[Alterations of humoral and cellular immunity after splenectomy (author's transl)].

In twenty-seven splenectomized patients, who had undergone splenectomy for trauma (n=13) and thirty-one immunologically healthy persons, matched for age and sex, the following immunological parameters were examined: Serum immunoglobulins M, A, G, D and E, complement factors C3, C4 and the serum haemolytic complement activity (Ch 50), as well as the ratio and in vitro reagibility of B-and T-lymphocytes measured by transformation responses to the non-specific mitogens Phytohämagglutinin, Concanavalin A and Pokeweed-Mitogen. The phagocytic capacity of polymorphonuclear neutrophils was tested by the Nitroblue tetrazolium test. Total peripheral lymphocytes, B- und T-lymphocytes from splenectomized patients were significantly higher than in healthy controls (p less than 0.01). The PHA response in splenectomized patients was significantly depressed (p less than 0.01) as compared to nonsplenectomized controls. Also IgM serum concentration was found to be significantly lower in these patients (p less than 0.01). No differences were observed between patients, who had been splenectomized 7 months to 5 years or 6 to 14 years ago. The comparison of persons splenectomized for traumatological or haematological disorders showed statistically no significant differences. The importance of the spleen for the primary immune response is discussed.