Lymphocyte activation after non-thermal trauma

Abstract

Polytrauma is associated with dramatic alterations in the phenotypic and activation profile of circulating lymphocytes which are generally independent of clinical course. In contrast, several lymphocyte soluble factors, including sCD4 and sIL-2R, paralleled the clinical course. These data provide new insight into lymphocyte responses after injury and suggest that further assessment of soluble factors as clinical correlates, including those related to lymphocyte activation or generalized inflammation, may be warranted.