Studies on the Serum Polysaccharide in Pulmonary Tuberculosis Part Ⅱ. Variations in Serum Polysaccharide of Patients Before and After Pulmonary Resections

By Shetlar's method the author estimated the amount of serum polysaccharide in 33 cases with pulmonary tuberculosis both before and after the pulmonary resections. Patients were composed of 12 with segmental resections; 11 with lobectomy; 5 with pneumonectomy; and 5 with thoracoplasty. At the same time the relationship between blood sedimentation rate and the liver function was studied and the following conclusions were drawn: 1) Prior to pulmonary resections the majority of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis show the values of both serum polysaccharide and of the rate of non-glucosamine polysaccharide to serum total protein (N.G.P./S.T.) within the normal range, but in some of the group, such as ones with lobectomy, thoracoplasty and pneumonectomy, reveal a slight to a moderate increase in these values. 2) In pulmonary tuberculosis the values of serum polysaccharide and N.G.P./S.T.P. after the operation show a marked transient increase as compared with those before resections. Howevr, decreasing slowly, these values, even in the cases which showed high values prior to the resections, later fall down to the normal level. It required 40 to 50 days to recover to the normal level in the cases with segmental resections, lobectomy, and thoracoplasty, while showing no significant difference among them. In the cases with pneumonectomy the duration of recovery time is markedly prolonged, namely, it requires 90 days after operation. 3) In the cases with complication of empyema the values of serum polysaccharide and N.G.P./S.T.P., that increased after resections, do not fall for a long period of time, and a certain degree of parallel relationship can be recognized between the progress of disease after resections and the amount of serum polysaccharide. 4) It has been recognized that a quite close relationship exists between the variations of blood sedimentation rate and serum pslysaccharide after pulmonary resections as well ss after thoracoplasty, and that the course of disease after resections has a certain relationship with the blood sedimentation rate. 5) After pulmonary resections and thoracoplasty, no intimate relationship can be observable between the fluctuations in the results of functional liver tests and serum polysaccharide.