Comparisons of different general anesthetic techniques on immune function in patients undergoing flap reconstruction for oral cancer

Background: Anesthetic-induced immunosuppression is of particular interest in tumor surgery. This study aimed to investigate the influence of the 4 most common general anesthetic techniques on immune function in patients undergoing flap reconstruction for oral cancer. Methods: 116 patients were randomly divided into 4 groups. Patients in group S were given sevoflurane-based anesthesia. Group P was administered propofol-based anesthesia. The SD group received sevoflurane combined with dexmedetomidine anesthesia. The propofol combined with dexmedetomidine anesthesia (PD) group received PD. Blood samples were obtained at 5 time points: baseline (T0), 1 hour after the start of the operation (T1), end of the operation (T2), 24 hours (T3), and 48 hours (T4) after the operation. Lymphocyte subsets (including CD3(+), CD4(+), CD8(+), and B lymphocytes) and dendritic cells were analyzed by flow cytometry. Blood glucose, norepinephrine, and cortisol levels were measured using ELISA and a blood gas analyzer respectively. Results: In total, 107 patients were included in the final analysis. Immunological indicators, except CD8(+) counts, were all decreased in groups S, P, and SD at T1-4 compared with the baseline value, and the counts of CD3(+), CD4(+), and dendritic cells, as well as CD4(+)/CD8(+) ratios, were significantly higher in the PD group than in the S, P, and SD at T1-3 (P < .05). There were no significant differences between groups P and SD at any observation time point. Intraoperative stress indices, including norepinephrine and cortisol levels, were significantly lower in the PD group than in the other 3 groups at T1-2 (P < .05). Conclusion: These findings suggest that PD as a probably optimal choice can alleviate immunosuppression in patients undergoing flap reconstruction for oral cancer.