THE INFLUENCE OF TRAUMA ON CHANGES IN NEUTROPHIL GRANULOCYTE FUNCTIONASSESSED BY AN ANALYSIS OF GRANULOCYTE MIGRATION

We examined the effects of trauma on polymorphonuclear leucocyte (PMN) migratory parameters and PMN elastase release, with the aim of tracin g an acute inflammatory reaction from its very beginning to the phase of recovery. Fifteen patients who underwent monotrauma surgery, follow ed by uneventful healing, served as inflammation model. PMN activation was studied by measuring their readiness to migrate (TMI) and their p enetration potency (DC) in a whole blood membrane filter device, in wh ich a chemoattractant depot (FMLP) was integrated. Control chambers la cking FMLP provided parameters of the spontaneous migration. Tn health y controls (n = 64), the numbers of invading PMNs decreased continuous ly from the outermost layer towards the interior of the filter device. FMLP did not influence the mobilization rate of PMNs immigrant from t he blood into the filter, bur those cells that did migrate penetrated deeper (P < 0.05). After trauma, the spontaneous and FMLP-stimulated D C was increased (P < 0.05). Trauma also tended to inhibit PMN migrator y activity episodically; depression of the unspecific immune function (low TMI values) was found on the 3rd (P < 0.0001) and 12th (P < 0.01) postsurgical days. There was no correlation between the migratory par ameters and the inflammation parameter, PMN elastase release. Prelimin ary results indicate that analyses of PMN migratory parameters by a wh ole blood membrane filter assay could provide a valuable adjunct in mo nitoring trauma-associated immunologic changes.