Background: Infection is the major cause of death in thermal injury patients. Severe suppression of the immune system is the major cause of infection following burn injury. The aim of this study was to modulate the cell-mediated immune response by the use of cimetidine and pyrimethamine in an animal burn model.
Materials and Methods: Male Balb/c mice were anesthetized, and given a 10% total body surface area full-thickness burn. Then the delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH) to sheep red blood cell (SRBC) and the effects of different doses of immunomodulators (cimetidine 5,10 and 15 mg/kg and pyrimethamine 2.5,5,10 mg/kg) on this response were quantitated ten days after the burn.
Results: The marked suppression of DTH was observed ten days after burn's trauma. Cimetidine (at doses of 10 and 15 mg/kg) and pyrimethamine (at doses of 5 and 10 mg/kg) significantly augmented DTH response after thermal injury. Cimetidine and pyrimethamine did not exhibit any effect on DTH response at doses of 5 mg/kg and 2.5 mg/kg respectively.
Conclusion: These results indicated that severe suppression of DTH responses occurred after burn injury. Cimetidine and pyrimethamine prevented inhibition of DTH response following thermal trauma.