title: Comparison of antibody response with delayed hypersensitivity in severely injured patients.
abstract: Twenty-seven severely injured patients had antibody response to gram-negative organisms measured of whom 25 also had skin testing. Twenty-three patients (92%) were anergic at admission. Injury Severity Scores were greater in patients who remained anergic for three weeks compared with patients whose skin tests became positive. Patients with major infection had longer anergy duration than uninfected patients. Twenty-two (81%) of 27 anergic patients mounted antibody responses. Initial bacterial contamination determined the clinical outcome and antibody response. Six of eight patients with moderate contamination mounted IgM responses to all organisms and/or an IgG response to Escherichia coli, and they remained uninfected. Of the other two patients, one died, and the other developed chronic infection. Seven of eight patients with heavy contamination developed major sepsis despite mounting several antibody responses. Six patients without contamination mounted no antibody responses and remained uninfected.
authors.affiliation: Price Institute of Surgical Research, Department of Surgery, University of Louisville School of Medicine, KY 40292.
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Hershman
authors.forename: W G
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Cheadle
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Appel
authors.forename: C D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: George
authors.forename: P F
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Davidson
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Cost
authors.forename: H C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Polk
mesh_terms: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000276:immunology*; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D006968:Hypersensitivity, Delayed / Q000276:immunology*; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000096:biosynthesis; D011552:Pseudomonas Infections / Q000276:immunology; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000276:immunology*; D012882:Skin Tests; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M