Percentage of CD4+, CD8+, and CD25+ T lymphocytes in peripheral blood of pigs in the course of experimental burns and necrectomy

The aim of the study was the evaluation of changes in the percentage profile of CD4+, CD8+, and CD25+ T lymphocytes, and their predictive value with respect to the course of experimental skin burns and early necrectomy in pigs. Thirty Large White Landrace pigs of both genders, weighing 50 kg (±2 kg), were used. Burns to their skin were performed with the use of a computer-controlled heating plate, applied to the animal’s body and heated to 2000°C, using 2.5 kg pressure for 10 s. It produced a burn of 30% (±2%) of body surface with a range of damage between II b° and III°. In animals of each experimental group fascial necrectomy was performed, according to the testing module. Blood from experimental and non-treated control animals was collected from the external jugular vein before the beginning of the experiment (hour 0) and at 12, 24, 36, 48, 60, 72, 84, 96, 108, 120, 132, 144, 156, 168, and 180 h of the experiment. An immune response profile was evaluated using flow cytometry analysis of the level and expression dynamics of CD4+, CD8+, and CD25+ particles on the surface of T lymphocytes. The study demonstrated that experimentally-induced burns in pigs caused cell-mediated immune response reflected in the changes in the percentage of CD4+, CD8+, and CD25+ T lymphocytes, and that early necrectomy in burnt pigs acted in a protective manner for the organism, based on the immunological index values. The study also proved that the dynamics of cell-mediated immunological response intensification determined on the basis of the percentage of CD4+, CD8+, and CD25+ T lymphocytes is conditioned by the size of the burnt surface and the time of necrectomy procedure.