ASSAY OF PHAGOCYTE ACTIVATION BY MEANS OF MALONDIALDEHYDE AND LUMINOL-ENHANCED CHEMILUMINESCENCE DURING UNEVENTFUL WOUND-HEALING FOLLOWING TRAUMA SURGERY

The purpose of the study was the assessment of the acute inflammatory response in patients (N=12) with comparable trauma severity and uneven tful wound healing courses in the postsurgical period as a contributio n to the search for objectifiable criteria in the monitoring of wound healing. Whole blood chemiluminescence (CL) on the one hand and the li pid peroxidation product malondialdehyde (MDA) on the other hand as to ols for the detection of the respiratory burst activity of phagocytes were used as inflammation markers and were compared with the establish ed marker PMN elastase. Blood samples were withdrawn daily from the da y of surgery to the 14th postsurgical day. CL-parameters and PMN elast ase increased postoperatively reflecting surgical trauma, while MDA re mained within the normal range during the whole time of observation. A decrease of CL-activity in the postsurgical period correlated with de creasing PMN elastase levels (r=0.52, P<0.0001) as web as with the tap ering of local inflammation signs concerning the wound situs. MDA valu es neither correlated with PMN elastase nor with any CL-parameters. Th e results indicate that the measurement of the phagocytic activation b y CL, used for the first time in traumatology to monitor wound healing , represents a promising marker for the assessment of the actual infla mmatory status.