• Chung-Sik Oh, Hyun-Jun Park, Liyun Piao, Kyo-Min Sohn, Seong-Eun Koh, Dae-Yong Hwang, and Seong-Hyop Kim.
• Departments of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Konkuk University School of Medicine, Konkuk University Medical Center, Seoul, Korea; the Research Institute of Medical Science, Konkuk University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
• Anesthesiology. 2022 Mar 1; 136 (3): 448-458.

BackgroundThe antitumor effects of natural killer cells, helper T cells, and cytotoxic T cells after cancer surgery were reported previously. This study hypothesized that propofol-based anesthesia would have fewer harmful effects on immune cells than volatile anesthetics-based anesthesia during colorectal cancer surgery.MethodsIn total, 153 patients undergoing colorectal cancer surgery were randomized and included in the analysis. The primary outcome was the fraction of circulating natural killer cells over time in the propofol and sevoflurane groups. The fractions of circulating natural killer, type 1, type 17 helper T cells, and cytotoxic T cells were investigated. The fractions of CD39 and CD73 expressions on circulating regulatory T cells were investigated, along with the proportions of circulating neutrophils, lymphocytes, and monocytes.ResultsThe fraction of circulating natural killer cells was not significantly different between the propofol and sevoflurane groups until 24 h postoperatively (20.4 ± 13.4% vs. 20.8 ± 11.3%, 17.9 ± 12.7% vs. 20.7 ± 11.9%, and 18.6 ± 11.6% vs. 21.3 ± 10.8% before anesthesia and after 1 and 24 h after anesthesia, respectively; difference [95% CI], -0.3 [-4.3 to 3.6], -2.8 [-6.8 to 1.1], and -2.6 [-6.2 to 1.0]; P = 0.863, P = 0.136, and P = 0.151 before anesthesia and after 1 and 24 h, respectively). The fractions of circulating type 1 and type 17 helper T cells, cytotoxic T cells, and CD39+ and CD73+ circulating regulatory T cells were not significantly different between the two groups. The neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio in both groups remained within the normal range and was not different between the groups.ConclusionsPropofol-based anesthesia was not superior to sevoflurane-based anesthesia in terms of alleviating suppression of immune cells including natural killer cells and T lymphocytes during colorectal cancer surgery.Editor’s PerspectiveCopyright © 2022, the American Society of Anesthesiologists. All Rights Reserved.

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