Absolute counts of peripheral blood leukocyte subpopulations in intraabdominal sepsis and pneumonia-derived sepsis: a pilot study Absolute counts of peripheral blood leukocyte subpopulations in intraabdominal sepsis and pneumonia-derived sepsis: a pilot study

Abstract

The leading pathophysiological changes during sepsis include systemic abnormalities in the immune<br />response. Due to the general character of these disturbances, sepsis is usually studied as a homogenous clinical<br />condition. We aimed to compare the immune response in intraabdominal sepsis (IAS) and pneumonia-derived<br />sepsis (PDS). The following cell populations were examined: white blood cell count (WBC), monocytes, lymphocytes:<br />CD3+, CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, B cells, and NK cells. In both studied groups (i.e. IAS and PDS), the<br />WBC was elevated. However, it was significantly higher in the IAS group than in the PDS group. The difference<br />was due to a lower granulocyte count, as well as a lower monocyte count in PDS. We found no significant<br />correlation between the total lymphocyte number and CD3+CD8+ T cells in either form of sepsis. Similarly, we<br />observed no correlation between the total lymphocyte number and the NK cells subset in IAS. However, the<br />numbers of CD3+CD8+ and NK cells correlated similarly in both types of sepsis. Both studied types of sepsis<br />induced profound lymphocytopenia, with marked loss of CD8+ T cells and the NK cells. However, the similar<br />relation between them, which was independent of the infection type, suggests that the NK and CD3+CD8+ cells<br />have shared mechanisms of regulation. The primary site of infection has an impact on the global immune reaction.<br />These alternations include especially myeloid cells: granulocytes and monocytes which disappear from peripheral<br />blood during PDS, but increase in IAS. <br />The leading pathophysiological changes during sepsis include systemic abnormalities in the immune<br />response. Due to the general character of these disturbances, sepsis is usually studied as a homogenous clinical<br />condition. We aimed to compare the immune response in intraabdominal sepsis (IAS) and pneumonia-derived<br />sepsis (PDS). The following cell populations were examined: white blood cell count (WBC), monocytes, lymphocytes:<br />CD3+, CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, B cells, and NK cells. In both studied groups (i.e. IAS and PDS), the<br />WBC was elevated. However, it was significantly higher in the IAS group than in the PDS group. The difference<br />was due to a lower granulocyte count, as well as a lower monocyte count in PDS. We found no significant<br />correlation between the total lymphocyte number and CD3+CD8+ T cells in either form of sepsis. Similarly, we<br />observed no correlation between the total lymphocyte number and the NK cells subset in IAS. However, the<br />numbers of CD3+CD8+ and NK cells correlated similarly in both types of sepsis. Both studied types of sepsis<br />induced profound lymphocytopenia, with marked loss of CD8+ T cells and the NK cells. However, the similar<br />relation between them, which was independent of the infection type, suggests that the NK and CD3+CD8+ cells<br />have shared mechanisms of regulation. The primary site of infection has an impact on the global immune reaction.<br />These alternations include especially myeloid cells: granulocytes and monocytes which disappear from peripheral<br />blood during PDS, but increase in IAS. <br />