[Changes in proinflammatory cytokines and immune function of subeschar tissue fluid during early stage after severe burn]

To evaluate the inflammatory response and immune function of subeschar tissue fluid (STF) in early stage of severe burn.Eight patients were observed and samples from blood as well as STF were collected at 16, 24, 32, 40, 48 hours following burn to measure white blood cell (WBC) counts, levels of immunoglobin (IgA, IgG, IgM), complement (C3, C4) values as well as proinflammatory cytokines as tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin-6(IL-6) and IL-8. In addition, twenty Balb-c mice were used for the lethal experiment by STF collected at 48 hours after burn.The levels of IgA, IgG, IgM in STF were about half of those in the blood samples (all P0.01). The WBC counts in STF were 1/100 time of that in the blood (all P0.01). The contents of TNF-alpha, IL-6 and IL-8 in STF were comparable with those in the blood (P0.05). Following STF challenge, none of the mice died during 7-day observation period.The cells and large molecules seems to be more difficult to enter STF compared with small molecules. No marked local inflammatory response occurs in STF during early stage of severe burn, and STF challenge has no lethal effect. The low WBC counts and low immunoglobin as well as complement levels imply the limited effect of STF on local infection, and effective antibiotics should be timely used after major burn.