ABSTRACT
Severe immunosuppression occurs after large thermal burn and probably contributes substantially to patient morbidity and mortality.In this study we investigated the range and distribution of T-lymphocyte. Subsets CD3[+] [T cells] CD4[+] [T helper/inducer cell,.th], CD8[+] [T suppressor /Cytotoxic cells, TS/C], CD3[+] CD4VCD3[+]CD8[+] ratio, CD19[+] [B cells] and CD16[+] [NK cells] in patiens following thermal injury. Forty male, aging 18-60 years with major thermal injury were studied. The total body surface area of the burn injury, ranged from 30 to >70%. Whole blood samples were collected at three and seven days postburn. Partec flowcytometry system and triple color flowcytometry reagents [Dako Co], were used to evaluate peripheral blood lymphocytes population of patients admitted at the Motahary Burn Center in Tehran. Compare to healthy controls, patients with burns have shown a significant reduction in relative number of CD3[+], CD4[+] and CD8[+] T cells at three and seven adys postburn.CD4VCD8[+] ratio were below normal range in three days and remained in normal range in seven days following injury. CD19[+] B cell populations were elevated in burn patients at both three and seven days. The number of CD 16[+]NK cells were significantly declined in three days and moderately increased on day seven, following injury. Thus, the data showed that thermal burn injury suppressed T-lymphocyte subsets proliferation in various days .In addition, all compartments of showed phenotypic changes in the 3[rd] and seventh days after burn, in different groups of age. Thermal burn injury suppressed T cell subsets proliferation on day 3 and 7 postburn, when compared to normal controls. [P