The effect of treating infected skin grafts with Acticoat™ on immune cells

A study was conducted to determine the effect of Acticoat™ placed on an infected skin graft on parameters of immunity. Two partial thickness wounds (2 cm × 4 cm) were created on the dorsal midline of Hartley guinea pigs (n = 28). Wounds were covered with autologous skin graft and maintained either aseptically (Noninoculated, n = 8), inoculated with Staphylococcus aureus (Surgery-Inoculated, n = 8) with or without Acticoat™ bandage (Surgery-Inoculated-Acticoat, n = 6). Five days later, splenocytes and blood were collected to estimate natural killer cell (NK) cytotoxicity, proliferative response to T and B cell mitogens and neutrophil oxidative burst. Animals that did not undergo surgery were included as a nonsurgery control group. [3H]-thymidine incorporation in response to a variety of T and B cell mitogens was significantly lower for all groups undergoing surgery compared to the nonsurgery control group (p < 0.0001) and no additional effect was observed on this immune measure by applying the Acticoat bandage. The Surgery-Inoculated-Acticoat group exhibited greater NK cytotoxic activity (as assessed as the ability to lyse K562 tumor cells) compared to the Surgery-Inoculated group (p < 0.006). The Surgery-Inoculated-Acticoat group had higher neutrophil oxidative burst at 5 min post stimulation, but was not different from controls after 15 min. In conclusion, the application of an Acticoat™ bandage to an inoculated surgery wound did not alter the low cell-mediated immune response that followed surgery, but appeared to increase parameters (NK cytotoxic activity and neutrophil function) of innate immunity.