Polymorphonuclear leucocyte motility in patients with severe burns.
Chemotaxis, chemokinesis and cellular orientation were measured for unstimulated and 10(-7) n-formyl methionyl leucyl phenylalanine (F-met-leu-phe) stimulated polymorphonuclear leucocytes (PMNS) of nine patients with recent 10-80 per cent burns using a computer-assisted image analysis technique. The technique records PMN movement, as viewed with a phase-contrast microscope on videotapes, and then uses computer programs to calculate the speed and direction of up to 50 PMNS over a 5-min period. Orientation was determined visually. Cellular adherence was also measured by attachment methods. PMNS from burn patients were slower (av. speed 16.8 microns/min), responded less well to F-met-leu-phe (av. speed 20.9 microns/min, av. McCutcheon index 0.32), were less often oriented towards the chemoattractant (av. 39 per cent) and were more adherent (av. 50 per cent) than control cells (av. speed 21.8 microns/min; av. speed F-met-leu-phe 32.2 microns/min; McCutcheon index 0.61; oriented 59 per cent adherent; 16 per cent). Thus PMNS from burn patients orient less well, are significantly slower and have less directionality in response to a chemoattractant, and are more adherent suggesting activation.
Kim
Y
Y
Department of Internal Medicine, University of California, Davis.
Goldstein
E
E
Lippert
W
W
Brofeldt
T
T
Donovan
R
R
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002056:Burns / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002634:Chemotaxis, Leukocyte; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007223:Infant; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000502:physiology