The effects of surgery on the activity of neutrophil granule proteins

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Abstract
Activities of the neutrophil granule-associated proteins .beta.-glucuronidase, lysozyme and vitamin B12 binding protein were measured, serially, in the cells and serum of 10 patients undergoing total abdominal hysterectomy. The neutrophil leukocytosis which followed total abdominal hysterectomy was accompanied by a fall in the intraneutrophilic activities of all 3 granule-associated proteins. Intraneutrophilic lysozyme activity and intraneutrophilic vitamin B12 binding capacity were maximally reduced within 4 h of surgery and fell to 62 .+-. 13% (mean .+-. SEM [standard error of the mean]) and 63 .+-. 9% of their preoperative levels, respectively. This contrasted with the activity of intraneutrophilic .beta.-glucuronidase which was not maximally reduced until 24 h postsurgery when a fall to 80 .+-. 6% of the preoperative level was observed. By the 5th postoperative day activities of the 3 intraneutrophilic granule proteins were increasing and approaching those observed preoperatively. Serum lysozyme and plasma unsaturated vitamin B12 binding capacity (UBBC) rose steadily following surgery and were significantly elevated by the 5th postoperative day. Activation and in vivo degranulation of circulating neutrophils may be responsible for these changes in activity of neutrophil granule proteins following surgery.