Clinical significance of the alterations of plasma prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) in severely burned patients

Agar gel single diffusion and radio immunological analyses were employed to determine the levels of serum C3c, C4, IgA, IgM, IgG and plasma PGE2 in 24 severely burned patients. The results were compared with the development of postburn immunosuppression, severe infection and MOF. There were marked decreases in serum C3c, C4 and Ig, which were especially marked in patients with MOF. Furthermore, plasma PGE2 decreased markedly in patients with MOF and/or severe systemic infection. The results suggest that the decrease or deficiency in plasma PGE2 was closely related to the immunosuppression and the development of severe systemic infection and/or MOF, which supported the hypothesis that PGE2 might play a role in immunoprotection, but not immunosuppression, in burned patients.