Postburn immune suppression: an inflammatory response to the burn wound?

In an effort to elucidate the causes of immune suppression which follows severe burn injury, we studied the immunologic effects of subcutaneous implantation of burned skin, as well as implantation of other materials, in mice. Ten days following the implantation, splenic lymphocyte proliferation and lymphocyte surface expression of activation antigens (IL-2R and Ia) were analyzed following a 3-day culture period. In addition, peritoneal neutrophils were analyzed for oxidative burst activity using flow cytometry and a dye which reacts with intracellular hydrogen peroxide. Implantation of a 2 x 2 cm section of burned/unburned skin as well as implantation of a similar-sized piece of cotton gauze or collagen sheet resulted in subsequent suppression of both lymphocyte activation proliferation and neutrophil oxidative burst activity. An intense local inflammatory response to the burn wound may play a role leading to the profound systemic immune suppression which follows severe burn injury.