An age-associated increase in pulmonary inflammation after burn injury is abrogated by CXCR2 inhibition

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Abstract
Burn patients over the age of 60 are at a greater risk for developing pulmonary complications than younger patients. The mechanisms for this, however, have yet to be elucidated. The objective of this study was to determine whether increased chemoattraction plays a role in the age‐related differences in pulmonary inflammation after burn injury. At 6 or 24 h after receiving sham or 15% total body surface area scald injury, lungs from young and aged mice were analyzed for leukocyte content by histological examination and immunostaining. Lungs were then homogenized, and levels of neutrophil chemokines, MIP‐2 and KC, were measured. At 6 h after burn, the number of neutrophils was four times higher in the lungs of both burn groups compared with aged‐matched controls (PPP<0.05), while not affecting the inflammatory response of the wounds. These studies show that CXCR2‐mediated chemoattraction is involved in the pulmonary inflammatory response after burn and suggest that aged individuals sustaining a burn injury may benefit from treatment strategies that target neutrophil chemokines.
Funding Information
  • Immunology and Aging Program at Loyola University Medical Center