[Escharectomy during burn shock on Th1/Th2 polarization of helper T lymphocytes in rats after thermal injury].
OBJECTIVE
To determine the type-1/type-2 cytokine response of helper T lymphocytes after thermal injury, and to investigate the effects of escharectomy during burn shock stage on the polarization of Th cells.


METHODS
One hundred and sixty male Wistar rats were randomized into four groups. In group A, animals were subjected to a 30 percent full-thickness thermal injury without escharectomy. In groups B, C and D, escharectomy and skin allograft were done at 8, 24, and 96 hours postburn, respectively. At 4, 12, 24, 48, 96, 120 and 168 hours postburn, animals were killed and bloods samples as well as spleens were harvested. Enzyme linked immunoadsorbent assay (ELISA) was applied to determine interferon-gamma(IFN-gamma) and interleukin-4(IL-4) levels in blood and spleen tissues.


RESULTS
Levels of IFN-gamma and IL-4 rapidly and significantly were increased after scald injury. IFN-gamma levels began to rise within 4 hours postburn, peaking at 24 hours later. IL-4 showed a persistent elevation up to 168 hours postburn, thereby leading to a dominant tendency of Th2 cytokine response on postburn day 7. In group A, all above parameters revealed most obvious changes compared with controls, then ranked in group D, B and C.


CONCLUSIONS
Escharectomy during burn shock stage is helpful to prevent the shift to Th2 cell response after severe thermal injury.
Pang
Wei
W
Burn Center of Secondary Artillery General Hospital of People's Liberation Army, Beijing 100088, China.
Shuai
Xiu-rong
XR
Guo
Zhen-rong
ZR
Yao
Yong-ming
YM
Sun
Dan
D
Yang
Li-hong
LH
D000818:Animals; D002056:Burns / Q000276:immunology / Q000601:surgery*; D016764:Cell Polarity; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012774:Shock, Traumatic / Q000276:immunology*; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology*
D015847:Interleukin-4