Impairment of non—specific immunity in patients under persistent vegetative state resulting from trauma

ＷＤｅｐａｒｔｍｅｎｔｏｆＮｅｕｒｏｓｕｒｇｅｒｙ ,2 5 4ｔｈＨｏｓｐｉｔａｌｏｆＰＬＡ ,Ｔａｎｊｉｎ 30 0 0 90 ,Ｃｈｉｎａ (ＣｈｅｎＪ)ＤｅｐａｒｔｍｅｎｔｏｆＮｅｕｒｏｓｕｒｇｅｒｙ ,ＢｅｉｊｉｎｇＣｏｍｍａｎｄＧｅｎｅｒａｌＨｏｓｐｉｔａｌ,Ｂｅｉｊｉｎｇ 10 0 70 0 ,Ｃｈｉｎａ (ＺｈｅｎｇＷＪａｎｄＷｕＧＨ)ｉｔｈｔｈｅｄｅｖｅｌｏｐｍｅｎｔｏｆｍｏｄｅｒｎｍｅｄｉｃａｌｔｅｃｈｎｉｑｕｅｓ ,ｔｈｅｄｅａｔｈｒａｔｅｏｆｓｅｖｅｒｅｔｒａｕｍａｔｉｃｂｒａｉｎｉｎｊｕｒｙｈａｓｄｒｏｐｐｅｄｏ…

Impairment of non-specific immunity in patients under persistent vegetative state resulting from trauma

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the immune response in patients under persistent vegetative state (PVS) resulting from trauma. METHODS: Peripheral blood monocytes were obtained from 12 PVS patients (Group PVS)and individuals in normal control group by density gradient centrifugation; the enzyme linked immunosorbent assay kit was then used to measure monocyte HLA-DR antigen expression on the surface of peripheral blood monocytes before and after monocyte activation with either IFN-gamma or LPS. RESULTS: Compared with normal control group, the peripheral blood monocyte HLA-DR antigen expression in the Group PVC fell significantly in PV S patients (P<0.001); the level of HLA-DR antigen express ion on the monocyte surface rose notably after stimulation with either IFN-gamma or LPS (P<0.01). As for PVS patients, it was still difficult to restore to normal (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The level of HLA-DR antigen expression on the sur face of peripheral blood monocytes in PVS patients decreases obviously. Therefore, the function of non-specific immunity in PVS patients is suppressed.