Peculiar Immunological Properties of Chronic Posttraumatic Osteomyelitis

Abstract

A comparative study of cellular immunity parameters was performed in patients with long bone chronic posttraumatic osteomyelitis in regard to osteomyelitis stages. Thirty patients with the fistulous form of long bone chronic posttraumatic osteomyelitis and 13 patients with long bone chronic posttraumatic osteomyelitis in the remission stage were examined using laser flow citometry. It was revealed that a moderate leukocytosis, increased monocyte and neutrophile absolute number as well as increased CD25 and HLA-DR-positive T-lymphocyte number are typical for chronic osteomyelitis regardless of the pathological process stages. The remission stage in patients with chronic posttraumatic osteomyelitis is accompanied by moderate activation of humoral immunity (increased B-lymphocyte (CD19+) number and increased production of IgG). The decrease in the peripheral blood lymphocyte number and well as reduction of HLA-DR expression on monocytes creates prerequisites for the development of fistulous osteomyelitis form and can be an indication for administering the preparations of immunomodulating action.