Studies of Altered Response to Infection Induced by Thermal Injury.
Abstract
Sepsis is a major cause of mortality after thermal injury. Experiments described are designed to determine if thermal injury reduces host defenses to infection and to characterize the burn induced immune aberration(s). Specifically data are presented which investigate (1) that thermal injury directly damages leukocyte function, (2) the precise kinetics of the appearance of the burn-induced injury, (3) the leukocyte subpopulation (A, T, or B cell) that is affected by thermal injury, and (4) the mechanism by which thermal injury reduces immune leukocyte functions. An intrinsic immune defect resulting from thermal injury was demonstrated. Days 5 to 7 after thermal insult were identified as the time of maximally reduction in immunocompetence. Bone marrow derived lymphocytes' differentiation to specific antibody forming cells was not prevented by thermal injury. However, both normal Accessory cell and normal thymus derived cell function in generation of specific antibody responses was aberant. Inappropriate activation of suppressive cells was demonstrated in our burned murine system and suggested as a causal mechanism for loss of host defenses to infection after burns.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 1977
- Accession Number
- ADA047176
Entities
People
- Carol L. Miller
Organizations
- University of California, San Francisco