Assessment of immunoglobulins after hip replacement.

Operative stress, blood loss and transfusion affect general and local immunity after operation. This study concerns the humoral immunity mediators IgG, IgM and IgA. In 16 patients who had total hip replacements blood loss was made up by transfusion of the patient's own blood and with homologous blood; the immunoglobulins showed a significant reduction compared to the preoperative values. The same was true in a second group of 16 patients who had hip replacement and total homologous transfusion. A third group of 17 patients who had femoral and pelvic osteotomies were given autologous blood, donated before operation, and no changes were found in the immunoglobulins compared with the preoperative values. These results indicate the immunosuppressive effect of homologous transfusion. The balance of immunoglobulins remains relatively stable when blood loss is replaced with the patient's own blood.