Host Defense Antibacterial Effector Cells Influenced by Massive Burns

Infections in severely burned patients frequently occur as opportunistic infections. Opportunistic invading microbes are recognized by the host's immune systems both to elicit immediate defense and to generate long-lasting adaptive immunity. The innate immune system is the first line of host defense against microbial invasion. Cells and tissues influenced by burn injury stimulate many cells related to the innate immune system. Burn-associated hyperinflammatory responses are induced during these host reactions. This immune perturbation leads to the subsequent development of extended immunosuppression caused by type 2 immune responses. To understand how and why host antibacterial defenses are suppressed by massive burns, this chapter discusses cell populations and their functions as involved in innate immunities influenced by severe burn injuries.