Clinical significance of leukocyte infiltrative response in deep wound of patients with major burns.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the time course of infiltrated leukocytes and the subpopulations of infiltrated lymphocytes in deep wounds, and their relationship with injury severity in seriously burned patients.


METHODS
Six patients with major burns were enrolled in the study. Specimens were taken from deep partial-thickness burn wounds of all patients at 3 days, 1 week, 2 weeks and 3 weeks after burn. The appearance time and cellular components of infiltrated leukocyte zone in the burn wound were evaluated by histological and immunohistochemistry examination with lymphocyte monoclonal antibodies.


RESULTS
The infiltrated leukocyte zone of burn wound formed 1-2 weeks after burn. The more severe the degree of injury (including burn area, depth and combined injuries) was, the later the infiltrated leukocyte zone appeared. The infiltrated cells mainly consisted of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) during the early period after burn while macrophages and lymphocytes appeared later. There were some changes of the T lymphocyte subsets and their activation degree in the burn wound.


CONCLUSIONS
The changes of infiltrated leukocyte zone of wound following burns were closely related to the injury severity, and represented alteration of the anti-infection ability and immune rejection of local wound. These results provide important evidence for appropriate wound treatment and prolonging the survival of skin allograft.
Peng
Daizhi
D
Institute of Burn Research, Southwest Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Trauma, Burns and Combined Injury, The Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, PR China. dzpeng@yahoo.com
Huang
Wenhua
W
Ai
Shenhai
S
Wang
Shiliang
S
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002056:Burns / Q000276:immunology*; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D016131:Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008853:Microscopy; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis