Abstract
Trace studies were made on the lymphocyte dynamics in 95 patients with Banti's syndrome 1-15 years after splenectomy and 27 patients which had to be splenectomized due to trauma 1-30 years after splenectomy. An increase in the peripheral white blood cell count due to a marked increase in neutrophils was seen during several days immediately after splenectomy. After more than 3 months, however, lymphocytes increased due to an increase in large lymphocytes. Small lymphocytes were rather few in number. The same tendency as in adults was observed after the elaspse of more than 6 months to several years in 14 young patients who were splenectomized between the aged of 10-20. However, depending on the condition, the reaction of neutrophil increase occurs even several years after splenectomy. Lymphocytes occupied 35.3% of the bone marrow cells with an actual number of 51,000 in cases of more than 1 year after splenectomy on accounts of splenic trauma, indicating an increase in the proportion and actual number. There is no marked change in the serum protein level or γ-globulin pattern.
Splenectomy was carried out in rabbits and rats within 24 hours of birth, and they showed no definite increase in the lymphocyte count.
The mechanism of an increase in the lymphocyte count after splenectomy is still unkown.
