Neutrophil activation in thermal injury as assessed by increased expression of complement receptors. Academic Article uri icon

Overview

abstract

  • We studied neutrophil activation in patients with burns by serial immunofluorescent measurement of neutrophil expression of the complement opsonin receptors CR1 and CR3. CR1-dependent fluorescence was initially (days 0 through 5 after the burn) elevated (mean +/- SEM, 294 +/- 42 vs. 63 +/- 6 in the controls; P less than 0.001) and gradually returned to normal (days 6 through 8, 270 +/- 62, P less than 0.001; days 9 through 13, 185 +/- 38, P less than 0.001; days 14 through 19, 143 +/- 27, P less than 0.001; and days 20 through 50, 93 +/- 5, P less than 0.04). CR3-dependent fluorescence paralleled that of CR1. Neutrophil chemotaxis in response to zymosan-activated serum, a source of C5a, was depressed (days 0 through 5, 77 +/- 4 percent of control, P less than 0.001; days 6 through 8, 70 +/- 4 percent, P less than 0.001; days 9 through 13, 74 +/- 3 percent, P less than 0.001; days 14 through 19, 90 +/- 4 percent, P less than 0.01; and days 20 through 50, 97 +/- 3 percent, P not significant) and inversely correlated with CR1- and CR3-dependent fluorescence (r = -0.559, P less than 0.001; and r = -0.709, P less than 0.001, respectively). Plasma C3a desArg levels were above normal (100 +/- 5 ng per milliliter) throughout (days 0 through 5, 305 +/- 42; days 6 through 8, 546 +/- 69; days 9 through 13, 490 +/- 72; days 14 through 19, 409 +/- 54; and days 20 through 50, 260 +/- 36; all P less than 0.005). Thus, neutrophils in burned patients were activated as indicated by increased expression of complement receptors. The correlation between this increase and the depression of chemotaxis in response to zymosan-activated serum suggests that C5a is responsible for systemic neutrophil activation, which may contribute to the increased susceptibility to infection of patients with burns.

publication date

  • April 10, 1986

Research

keywords

  • Burns
  • Chemotaxis, Leukocyte
  • Neutrophils
  • Receptors, Complement

Identity

Scopus Document Identifier

  • 0022585552

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

  • 10.1056/NEJM198604103141503

PubMed ID

  • 2938005

Additional Document Info

volume

  • 314

issue

  • 15