Effect of a Laparoscopic Donor Nephrectomy in Healthy Living Kidney Donors on the Acute Phase Response Using Either Propofol or Sevoflurane Anesthesia

Surgical trauma elicits a complex inflammatory stress response, contributing to postoperative morbidity and recovery variability. This response is influenced by patient-specific factors and surgical and anesthetic techniques. To isolate the impact of anesthesia on the acute phase response, we investigated plasma proteomic changes in a uniquely homogeneous cohort of healthy, living kidney donors (<i>n</i> = 36; propofol = 19; sevoflurane = 17) undergoing laparoscopic donor nephrectomy. Proteomic profiling of plasma samples collected preoperatively and at 2 and 24 h postoperatively revealed 633 quantifiable proteins, of which 22 showed significant perioperative expression changes. Eight proteins exhibited over two-fold increases, primarily related to the acute phase response (CRP, SAA1, SAA2, LBP), tissue repair (FGL1, A2GL), and anti-inflammatory regulation (AACT). These changes were largely independent of anesthetic type, though SAA2 and MAN1A1 showed anesthetic-specific expression. The upregulation of these proteins implicates the activation of immune pathways involved in host defense, tissue remodeling, and inflammation resolution. Our findings provide a molecular reference for the surgical stress response in healthy individuals and highlight candidate biomarkers for predicting and managing postoperative outcomes. Understanding these pathways may support the development of strategies to mitigate surgical stress and enhance recovery, particularly in vulnerable patient populations.