Trauma serum suppresses superoxide production by normal neutrophils
M. E. Lanser, G. E. Brown, R. Mora, W. Coleman and J. H. Siegel
The effect of trauma serum on superoxide production by normal neutrophils
was studied in 47 serum samples from 18 patients with multiple trauma. Ten
patients became septic and eight patients remained nonseptic. Incubation in
trauma serum significantly suppressed superoxide production by normal
neutrophils compared with incubation in normal serum: 3.6 +/- 1.44 vs 4.04
+/- 1.64 nmole of superoxide produced by 10(6) neutrophils (mean +/- SD).
There was no difference in the suppressive effect between septic and
nonseptic trauma serum samples. The chemiluminescence response of normal
neutrophils was likewise suppressed following incubation in trauma serum
compared with incubation in normal serum. The chemiluminescence response
correlated with superoxide reduction of cytochrome C. In addition, the
chemiluminescence response was significantly less in septic-trauma serum
than in nonseptic-trauma serum. Suppressive serum was found to inhibit the
neutrophil-membrane depolarization response to latex particles, as measured
by flow cytometry. We conclude that trauma serum suppresses superoxide
production by normal neutrophils, and that such suppression can be detected
reliably using the clinically applicable technique of chemiluminescence. A
normal chemiluminescence response excludes serum-mediated suppression of
neutrophil superoxide production. In addition, chemiluminescence may be of
value in detecting altered resistance to sepsis following injury, while
superoxide determinations do not seem to be helpful in this regard. The
mechanism of action of the suppressor may involve reversible inhibition of
membrane depolarization necessary for the production of bactericidal oxygen
species.
