Serum protein changes after burn injury

Moody, Brian James (1988) Serum protein changes after burn injury. University of Southampton, Doctoral Thesis.

Abstract

This study has been concerned with the investigation of some aspects of the expression and regulation of the Acute Phase Response (APR) to burn injury. The study takes the form of an investigation into the changes in serum protein levels during the APR with a complementary, though preliminary, investigation of the regulation of synthesis of these proteins in a model system using rat hepatocytes cultured in vitro. The joint aims of the study were to attempt the identification and characterisation of some of the possible physiological and pathological processes that influence serum protein changes during the APR, and to examine how these processes might be investigated at the cellular level. In the first part of the study the levels of 12 serum proteins including acute phase reactants (APR's), immunoglobulins and albumin were measured in 20 patients suffering from thermal burns. The results of this study identify at least two major factors influencing serum protein levels. These are respectively the severity of the initial injury and the development of septic complications during recovery. It is suggested that serum levels of either C-reactive protein or alpha-1 antichymotrypsin could be used as aids to diagnosis of sepsis. It was observed that levels of IgG could be used to identify patients with an increased susceptibility to infection. Development work upon the complementary study of protein synthesis by the liver concentrated upon assessing the suitability of a model system using rat hepatocytes in culture in vitro, combined with two dimensional immuno-electrophoresis to investigate the effect of candidate mediating substances upon protein synthesis. Using this model it was possible to quantitate the synthesis de novo and export of serum proteins by hepatocytes. The pattern of synthesis could be influenced by the addition of various natural and synthetic corticosteoids and other hormones such as insulin and glucagon. The work also indicated the necessity to ensure that the cells were able to maintain their viability during the time of the experiment. The measurement of the levels of the enzyme Tyrosine aminotransferase as a guide to the effect of anabolic/catabolic status upon synthesis and export of proteins was introduced as a quality assurance method. The study illustrates some of the difficulties of investigating such a complex physiological phenomenon as the Acute Phase Response to injury. The results of the latter part of the study, although preliminary in nature, indicate that a quantitative measurement of the export of individual serum proteins by the hepatocyte may be undertaken and that this experimental model may be used to investigate the effects of substances which are believed to be involved in the regulation of the synthesis of serum proteins at the cellular level. (D82736)

This record has no associated files available for download.

Contributors

Download statistics