CONTENTS OF CYTOKINES IN BLOOD OF THE PATIENTS WITH LOCAL FROSTBITES

Abstract. Cytokines provide important connecting links between immunity, blood clotting, and nonspecific resistance that become altered in local frostbites. The aim of study was to determine the contents of cytokines in blood of patients with local frostbites at various terms following the lesion. Fifty patients, 17 to 50 years old, with frostbites of extremities (grade II to IV) were under observation. Arterial and venous blood, as well as venous blood from damaged and intact extremities were examined. Cytokine concentrations were determined using ELISA technique. It was shown that blood concentrations of TNFα, IL-1β, IL-4, IL-8 and IL-18 reached their maximum at early reactive period of the trauma (a 2.3- to 19-fold increase). IL-1β concentration exceeded appropriate control values during all the periods of local frostbites. IL 18 levels were increased at early reactive period of the trauma. IL-1β and IL-8 concentration at pre-reactive period proved to be higher in arterial blood of damaged extremities, than in effluent venous blood. Both during early and late reactive periods, the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines in effluent blood from damaged extremities were 1.2- to 8-fold higher than in venous blood from intact extremities, whereas IL-4 levels were 2- to 5-fold lower