Validità dell’autotrapianto di milza nella difesa dalle infezioni batteriche. Ricerche sperimentali

Splenectomized patients develop bacterial sepsis, so alternative methods to splenectomy have been suggested. Among these techniques splenic autotransplantation has been performed, but its effectiveness has to be confirmed. In this paper effects of an experimental infection on groups of rats (splenectomy, spleen autotransplantation, control group) have been studied and different bacterial clearances have been demonstrated. Autotransplanted rats presented higher resistance to infection than splenectomized rats. The role of spleen autotransplantation has not yet clarified. In adults with splenic trauma splenectomy is the treatment of choice, as sepsis related mortality is very low, while in pediatric patients alternative methods should be preferred and spleen autotransplantation could be performed when severe splenic lesions do not allow conservative methods. In thalassemic patients we could probably perform splenic autotransplantation, as in these patients sepsis related mortality is higher. New therapeutic results, could be obtained by thymostimulin which could strengthen the immunological system of autotransplanted patients.