EFFECT OF GLUTAMINE ON PHAGOCYTOSIS AND BACTERIAL KILLING BY NORMAL AND PEDIATRIC BURN PATIENT NEUTROPHILS

Glutamine is essential for the function of lymphocytes and macrophages , where it serves, among other things, as a source of energy. Little i nformation is available concerning the fuel that polymorphonuclear cel ls use for their metabolic and bactericidal functions. It was the purp ose of this study to determine whether glutamine would enhance the in vitro bactericidal function of normal neutrophils and whether the amin o acid would restore the observed impaired function in burn patients t o or above the normal level. Twelve burn patients with total body surf ace area bums ranging from 32% to 87% were studied. At various postbur n times, neutrophils were isolated and their ability to kill Staphyloc occus aureus in the presence and absence of glutamine was determined a nd compared with that in normal subjects. Glutamine enhanced the bacte ricidal function of normal neutrophils. In every patient, at all but t wo postburn times, glutamine caused an improvement in the observed abn ormal neutrophil bactericidal function and often restored it to or sli ghtly above the normal level. Glutamine had no effect on the expressio n of C3b receptors (CR1 or CD35) or on phagocytosis by the cells. This study confirms the beneficial effects of glutamine in at least one ar m of the immune system and adds evidence for the possible advantage of including this amino acid in the diets of burn and other trauma patie nts.