The extent of traumatic damage determines a graded depression of the endotoxin responsiveness of peripheral blood mononuclear cells from patients with blunt injuries.

OBJECTIVE: To study whether the endotoxin responsiveness of peripheral blood mononuclear cells correlates with the severity of injury in trauma patients.
DESIGN: Prospective, observational study.
SETTING: University trauma center. PATIENTS: Fifty-nine patients with blunt trauma (Injury Severity Score [ISS] 4 to 57 points).
INTERVENTIONS: Standard emergency department care, surgical care, and postoperative intensive care unit treatment.
MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Whole blood and serum were obtained 94+/-89 (SD) mins post trauma (day 0) and during a 14-day period postinjury. Endotoxin-induced tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) synthesis of peripheral blood mononuclear cells ex vivo was tested using a whole blood assay. Serum samples were assayed for TNF-alpha concentrations. A reduced capacity of whole blood to produce TNF-alpha ex vivo with endotoxin treatment was found to be closely correlated with the ISS. The capacity to produce TNF-alpha on endotoxin stimulation of whole blood from patients with an ISS > or =16 points was depressed immediately after trauma and did not reach normal values during the observation period. In patients with an ISS >22 points, maximum depression of the capacity of whole blood to produce TNF-alpha occurs within 100 mins post injury. In contrast, in patients with an ISS <22 points, maximal depression of whole blood TNF-alpha production occurs with a delay of 24 to 48 hrs after trauma. Based on pre- and postoperative values, primary surgical intervention caused a decrease of the endotoxin-stimulated TNF-alpha production of whole blood in the latter patient subgroup, as well as in the entire patient population (ISS 4 to 57) when secondary surgical treatment was necessary 5 to 13 days after trauma.
CONCLUSIONS: The extent of traumatic tissue damage leads to a graded depression of immunocyte function and appears to be amplified by surgical treatment. The endotoxin responsiveness of peripheral blood mononuclear cells displays a functional marker of the anatomically defined severity of injury and gives insights into the regulation of immunocyte function after severe blunt trauma.