It is well known that surgery significantly decrenses immune responses. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) is a so called "mini invasive" surgical presidia, and on the basis of this consideration we have investigated if and how the immune response is modified in patients after laparoscopic cholecystectomy compare to patients undergone open cholecystectomy. Immune-activity (neutrophils, total lymfocytes count, lymphocytes subpopulations, HLA-DR) was evaluated in 53 patients one day before surgery and p.o. after 1. 3 and 6 days; 26 patients underwent "open" cholecystectomy and 27 LC. One day after surgery patients with open cholecystectomy showed significant increase (p < = 0.05) of plasma neutrophils, while these parameters were almost unchanged in patients with L.C. Finally monocyte antigen HLA-DR was also reduced in patients with "open" cholecystectomy: in this group we also recorded 2 cases (7.6%) of respiratory tract infection. In conclusion LC, strongly reduces p.o. pain, hospitalization, promotes earlier recovery and return to normal activity, avoiding p.o. immunosuppression, mostly due to conservation of HLA-DR activity, with better p.o. morbidity compare to open surgery.