THERAPEUTIC EFFECTS OF CORYNEBACTERIUM-PARVUM IN EXPERIMENTAL BURN DISEASE OF MICE

Despite substantial progress in handling the acute phase, about 50 per cent of all severely burned patients are still subject to lethal infections during the later stages of the burn disease (Thomsen, 1970). Such patients frequently succumb to infections by opportunistic bacteria and viruses of normally low virulence (MacMillan et al., 1973) indicating that anti-infectious host defences are severely compromised (Farrell et al., 1973). In fact, reduced function of the reticuloendothelial system (RES) has been reported in patients and experimental systems as a result of severe burns (Warner and Dobson, 1954). Corynebacterium parvum (C. parvum) has recently attracted attention as a stimulant of RES function (Halpern et al.,1964). Thus, the mass of RES tissue is notably increased after injection of C. parvurn into experimental animals (Adlam and Scott, 1973) and macrophages show signs of being activated (Collet, 1971). Consequently antibacterial resistance is enhanced (Adlam et al., 1972). A number of authors have even reported successes in the treatment of malignancies (Smith and Scott, 1972). C. parvum, due to its ability to stimulate RES function, might therefore be useful in the prevention of fatal bacteraemia or viraemia following severe burns. The present report deals with this question. © 1979.