Features of peripheral blood B-cell subset phenotype are associated with clinical outcome of widespread purulent peritonitis

Abstract

The aim of the study was to investigate the phenotypic features of peripheral blood B-lymphocytes in patients with widespread purulent peritonitis (WPP) during postoperative treatment depending on the disease outcome. 52 patients with acute surgical diseases and injuries of the abdominal organs complicated by WPP were examined. Blood sampling was performed before surgery (preoperative period), as well as on day 7, 14 and 21 of the postoperative period. All patients with WPP were divided into two groups depending on the disease outcome during postoperative period: patients with favorable outcome (n = 34), patients with unfavorable outcome (n = 18). 68 healthy subjects were included into control group. Immunophenotyping of blood B-lymphocytes was assessed by flow cytometry and direct immunofluorescence of whole peripheral blood stained with monoclonal antibodies. It was found that patients with WPP in preoperative period contained lowered B1-cell subset compared to control group that was paralleled with low absolute B-lymphocyte count. Moreover, a higher number of activated (based on upregulated CD23 expression) peripheral blood B1-lymphocytes was observed in the patients with unfavorable than in patients with favorable WPP outcome. In addition, dynamics of changes in frequency of B-lymphocytes during postoperative period (day 7—21) varied profoundly depending on the disease outcome. In particular, patients with favorable WPP outcome during postoperative period were found to contain decreased percentage of the most B-cell subsets (including activated cells) examined, whereas patients with unfavorable disease outcome had virtually unaltered B-cell composition in the postoperative period. Moreover, count of total B-cells, naive B-cells and B2-cells negative or positive for CD23 expression was higher in patients with unfavorable outcome than in patients with favorable WPP outcome throughout entire postoperative period. Percentage of some other B-cell subsets in patients with unfavorable than with favorable outcome was also higher only at certain stages of postoperative treatment. It is assumed that such features in peripheral blood B-cell subset composition were closely linked to the disease outcome so that patients with unfavorable WPP outcome turned out to have disturbed B-cell maturation and migration in developing immune response that might be due to lowered total sensitivity of host body to postoperative antibiotic therapy.