title: Functional T lymphocytes infiltrate implanted polyvinyl alcohol foams during surgical wound closure therapy.
abstract: Vacuum-assisted closure involving the implantation of polyvinyl alcohol foam is a technique recently developed for the treatment of patients suffering from either wound infection or chronic wounds. This method has been shown to improve and accelerate wound healing. However, little is known about the cell populations that infiltrate the foam, and their potential role in resolving the infection and promoting granulation tissue formation. Our study demonstrates that wound-implanted foams are mainly infiltrated with granulocytes, but that mononuclear cells, including macrophages and minor populations of T, B and natural killer lymphocytes, are also present. We show that foam-infiltrating T cells, especially CD4(+) T cells, constitute a phenotypically and functionally heterogeneous population influenced by wound-infecting bacteria. Thus, T lymphocytes could play a role in wound cleansing. In addition, our data indicate that implanted polyvinyl alcohol foams might be suitable microenvironments for manipulating T cell-mediated immune responses in patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Institute for Cell Biology, University of Tübingen, Germany.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gouttefangeas
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Eberle
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ruck
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stark
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: H D
authors.initials: HD
authors.lastname: Becker
authors.forename: H G
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Rammensee
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pinocy
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008264:Macrophages / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D011142:Polyvinyl Alcohol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*; D014618:Vacuum; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D011142:Polyvinyl Alcohol