Humoral immunity in burns.

Evaluation of serum immunoglobulin levels for IgG, IgA and IgM in burned patients was performed by Johanson's modification of Mancini's technique. Influence of serum immunoglobulin levels upon the bactericidal capacities was also measured. Levels of all three immunoglobulins were found to be affected in burned individuals compared with healthy control group. For burns below 25 per cent, immunoglobulin G showed two troughs on the third and seventh days post burn, signifying mechanical depletion and possibly loss in opsonic activities respectively; immunoglobulin A was found persistently below normal limits signifying possibly major loss in opsonic activities; immunoglobulin M showed only an occasional fall signifying minimal loss. The role of immunoglobulins in enhancing the bactericidal index was also made very clear in the present study.