1993 Volume 33 Issue 1 Pages 61-69
Postoperative changes in cellular and humoral immunity were examined in 39 cases of primary lung cancer patients, and the effect of the granulocyte protease inhibitor, ulinastatin, was studied. Subjects were divided into two groups at random; 19 patients were given 300, 000 units of ulinastatin in the operative day and next four days. The other 20 patients were not given it. The following parameters were examined; white blood cell count, NK cell activity, T cell, B cell, immunoglobulin, plasma elastase. Left deviation of neutrophils, decrease of NK cell activity and T cell, B cell count were seen significantly in the control group. However these changes were inhibited in the ulinastatin group at POD 0 and POD 1. These results suggests that the administration of ulinastatin improves the defense mechanism in the postsurgical state.
