Association of a circulating immunosuppressive polypeptide with operative and accidental trauma.

摘要: The serum from 109 traumatized patients was examined for immunosuppressive activity which might explain diminished host immune responsiveness following operative or accidental injury. Twenty-eight fo 31 (90%) severely tralmatized patients, 25 of 60 (42%) moderately and 0 18 minimally developed suppressed the response normal human lymphocytes to phytohemagglutinin. degree duration paralleled severity clinical course but did not correlate with cortisol barbiturate levels. Suppressive sera were cytotoxic. factor(s) contained in a low molecular weight (less than 10,000 daltons) peptide fraction present 5--10 times amount recoverable serum. By size trauma factor resembled immunoregulatory alpha globulin, naturally-occurring inhibitor T-lymphocyte reactions. Thus, depressed immunoreactivity may be due part high concentrations an endogenous polypeptide.