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Peri-Operative Antimicrobial Prophylaxis Modulates CD4+ Lymphocyte Immunophenotype Ex Vivo in High-Risk Patients Undergoing Major Elective Surgery—A Preliminary Observational Study

Paketci, Susi; Williams, Jack; Pisciotta, Walter; Loye, Richard; Waller, Alessia V; Haque, Rahila; Brealey, David; ... Snow, Timothy Arthur Chandos; + view all (2025) Peri-Operative Antimicrobial Prophylaxis Modulates CD4+ Lymphocyte Immunophenotype Ex Vivo in High-Risk Patients Undergoing Major Elective Surgery—A Preliminary Observational Study. Antibiotics , 14 (10) , Article 1026. 10.3390/antibiotics14101026. Green open access

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Abstract

Background: Post-operative infections are a significant cause of morbidity in patients undergoing major elective surgery. Peri-operative antibiotics are used to reduce the risk of infection. Several antibiotics modulate the host immune response. Objectives: Our objective was to determine the ex vivo immunomodulatory properties of commonly used antibiotics (amoxicillin, cefuroxime, metronidazole, or combined cefuroxime–metronidazole) on monocyte and lymphocyte phenotypes in patients undergoing major elective surgery. Methods: We performed a prospective cohort study of patients aged ≥18 years admitted to the post-anaesthetic care unit following major elective non-cardiac surgery. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells isolated immediately after surgery were incubated with antibiotics with or without a monocyte (heat-killed E. coli) or lymphocyte (CD3/CD28 beads) stimulus ex vivo. Immune cell phenotype was characterised using flow cytometry. Results: Twenty-eight patients were included. All antibiotics tested were associated with a reduction in T-cell viability, and changes to monocytes were minimal. Among CD4+ and CD8+ lymphocytes, cefuroxime increased IFN-γ (at low and high doses) and increased CD4+ lymphocyte IL-2 and IL-2R at higher doses. Among CD4+ lymphocytes, at both doses, cefuroxime increased %Th1 population, with a parallel decrease in %Th2, %Th17, IL-17A, FOX-P3, and T-bet. Among the Th1 sub-population, changes were seen at higher cefuroxime doses, including increased viability and PD-1, and a decrease in FAS, IFN-γ and CD28, and IL-7R expression. Conclusions: The choice of antibiotics directly impacts immune function following major surgery, with cefuroxime associated with ex vivo immunomodulatory effects on CD4+ lymphocytes. The functional implications on the development of subsequent post-operative infectious complications and long-term cancer-free survival require further investigation.

Type: Article
Title: Peri-Operative Antimicrobial Prophylaxis Modulates CD4+ Lymphocyte Immunophenotype Ex Vivo in High-Risk Patients Undergoing Major Elective Surgery—A Preliminary Observational Study
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics14101026
Publisher version: https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics14101026
Language: English
Additional information: Copyright: © 2025 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/ licenses/by/4.0/).
Keywords: anti-bacterial agents; beta-lactams; general surgery; immune function; intensive care unit; lymphocyte; monocyte; post-anaesthetic care unit; post-operative infection
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Medical Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Medical Sciences > Div of Medicine
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Medical Sciences > Div of Surgery and Interventional Sci
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Medical Sciences > Div of Surgery and Interventional Sci > Department of Targeted Intervention
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10215669
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