[The role of the leukocytes in pathogenesis of secondary brain injury].

The levels of leukocyte count, neutrophil number, leukocyte adhesiveness, leukocyte releasing oxygen-free radical (O2.-) after phagocytosing bacteria and serum lipid peroxide MDA were determined in the peripheral blood of 40 patients with acute head injury within 48 hours and 22 normal adults. These levels of patients were significantly higher than those of the controls (P < 0.05), and increased with the severity of craniocerebral injury elevation. The leukocyte count and neutrophil number of those patients who died were significantly higher than these of those survived patients (P < 0.05). It suggested that leukocytes aggravated the secondary brain injury after craniocerebral injury by increasing of leukocyte adhesiveness, and generating and releasing oxygen-free radical, and measurement of leukocyte count and neutrophil number in the peripheral blood could evaluate the prognosis of the patient with craniocerebral injury.