Activation State of the Circulating Neutrophil in Isolated Chest Trauma Patients: Characterization of Surface Receptor Expression

The pathogenesis of inflammatory complication after chest trauma and pulmonary injury is incompletely understood. Injury can trigger a systemic inflammatory response, which leads to pre-activation of neutrophils in blood. The aim of this study was to determine the specific expression profiles of neutrophil receptors in relation to the systemic inflammatory response after chest trauma. Blood samples from fifty patients with isolated thoracic injury were analysed for changes in the neutrophil phenotype within 3, 6 and 24 hours after injury. Study patients was assessed for any inflammatory complications during the first 24 hours. L-Selectin expression remained decreased until 24 hrs while CXCR1, CXCR2 and C5aR levels gradually increased. Expression of FcγRII and expression of the active form were lower in trauma patients, no patients developed ARDS. Thoracic trauma leads to activation of the circulating neutrophils which is transient accompanied by mobilization of young neutrophils into the circulation which leads to systemic inflammatory reactions which need a second stimulus to cause inflammatory complications like ARDS.