A comparison between the effects of Halothane and Eflurane on Lymphocyte functions a prospective study of the Kenyatta national

Abstract

A comparative study on the effect of lymphocyte function after exposure to enflurance and halothane was done between April and November 1986 at Kenyatta National Hospital. Fourty-six patients who qualified as ASA Grades I and II with ages ranging from fourteen years to seventy seven years were included in the study. All were premedicated with atropine and pethidine. Thirty-four of them were induced with thiopentone, nine induced with ketamine and diazepam, two induced with diazepam alone while one was induced with halothane alone. Three samples of venous blood were taken from each patient. Sample A taken before induction, sample B after induction and sample D about twenty four hours after Lnducti.on. Seperation and stimulation of lymphocytes by mitogens (FHA, Con A) and antigens (PPD and SKSD) , inCubation with radioactive thymidine and measuring of radioactivity uptake by the lymphocytes from a counter was done at the immunology laboratory of the Biomedical Sciences Research Centre laboratories of the Kenya Medical Research Institute. Thirty

seven patients were exposed to halothane and nine were eXDOsed to enflurane. Eight of the patients studied had malignant tumours, 10 had non malignant tumours and 28 had no tumours. The duration of anaesthesia ranged from 9 minutes to 3.5 hours with a mean of 1.25 hours. Data comparison was done using Student's

"t" test.-

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Both halothane and enflurane were found to have positive response on lymphocyte transformation following stimulation with both mitogens and antigens in patients with rralignant tumours as well as those with non malignant tumours and enflurane caused more significant response than halothane. The present data reveal that.low serum levels of both halothane and enflurane cause prolonged and increased in vitro lymphocyte responses to mitogens and antigens.

Therrain aims and opjectives of this study were:

1. To assess the effects of halothane and enflurane on in vitro lymphocyte functions, and relate these to the surgical conditions of patients with malignant and non-malignant turrours.

2. To relate the findings of the study with contemporary clinical anaesthetic practice.