INHIBITION OF NEUTROPHIL CHEMOTAXIS BY PLASMA OF BURNED PATIENTS - EFFECT OF BLOOD-TRANSFUSION PRACTICE

Incubation of normal human neutrophils with plasma from burned patient s markedly reduced the ability of the cells to respond to a chemotacti c stimulus in vitro. Previous transfusion of the patients with packed red blood cells did not alter the inhibited locomotion of neutrophils, whereas transfusion with normal plasma alone attenuated or even aboli shed the inhibitory activity. The finding provides direct evidence for the involvement of circulating suppressive factors in neutrophil chem otaxis, rendering burned patients move susceptible to infections. In a ddition, it stresses the relevance of plasma transfusion in clinical m anagement and infection control following thermal injury.