[Effects of medium and long-chain triglyceride on the immune function of burn patients during early postburn stage].
OBJECTIVE
To explore the effects of medium and long-chain triglyceride on the immune function of burn patients during early postburn stage and its possible mechanism.


METHODS
Thirty burn patients with TBSA exceeding 30% were enrolled in this study and were randomly divided into two groups (n = 15 in each group). The patients in F group were supplemented orally with enteral nutrient Fresubin 750MCT containing medium (MCT) and long-chain triglyceride (LCT), and those in N group with Nutrition containing only LCT. All the patients were treated with nutritional support beginning from 24 PBH, continued for 10 days. The changes in plasma levels of IL-2, IL-4, PGE(2) and T lymphocyte transformation rate (LTR) in peripheral blood of patients in the two groups were determined on 1, 4, 7 and 10 postburn days (PBDs).


RESULTS
The plasma IL-2 level in all time points exhibited no difference in all patients (P > 0.05). The plasma level of PGE(2) on PBD 4 in F group was obviously lower than that in N group (P < 0.01). The plasma level of IL-4 on PBDs 4, 7 and 10 in F group were evidently higher than that in N group (P < 0.01). The T LTR in peripheral blood on PBDs 4 and 7 in F group was much higher than that in N group (P < 0.05 - 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
Enteral nutrient containing MCT/LCT seemed to be superior to that containing only LCT in the improvement of postburn immune function in burn patients.
D000328:Adult; D002056:Burns / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology*; D004044:Dietary Proteins / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015232:Dinoprostone / Q000097:blood; D004750:Enteral Nutrition; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000097:blood; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000097:blood; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008297:Male; D013997:Time Factors; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D004044:Dietary Proteins; C048418:Fresubin; D007376:Interleukin-2; D014280:Triglycerides; D015847:Interleukin-4; D015232:Dinoprostone