CLINICAL-SIGNIFICANCE OF THE CHANGE OF BLOOD MONOCYTIC INTERLEUKIN-1 PRODUCTION IN-VITRO IN SEVERELY BURNED PATIENTS

Biological methods were employed to measure the dynamic changes in the in vitro IL-1 production by blood monocytes in 24 severely burned pat ients. The serum myocardial and hepatic enzymes (C-reactive protein) ( CRP), plasma lactic acid (LA), etc. were simultaneously measured. The results showed an obvious decrease in blood monocyte IL-1 production i n vitro and increases in CRP, LA and serum enzymes. These changes were more evident in patients complicated with organ injury, multiorgan fa ilure and systemic infection. It is suggested that blood monocytes are superstimulated postburn in vivo and produced large amounts of IL-1 l eading to exhaustion of monocyte function. These changes might promote the development of severe systemic infection and internal organ injur y even multiple organ failure.