ENHANCEMENT OF INVITRO BACTERICIDAL ACTIVITY OF NEUTROPHILS FROM TRAUMA PATIENTS IN THE PRESENCE OF GRANULOCYTE COLONY-STIMULATING FACTOR

In order to determine whether granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) can enhance the bactericidal activity of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNL) in trauma patients, PMNL obtained from severely injured patients one or two days after trauma were incubated with G-CSF and Staphylococcus aureus for different periods of time. G-CSF at a concentration of 6000 units/ml significantly improved the antibacterial activity of PMNL in trauma patients (n = 10) and healthy volunteers (n = 12) during the incubation period of 180 min. No difference in the bactericidal function of PMNL could be found between severely injured patients and healthy donors.