[Effects of thermal injury on the reactivity of the neuroendocrine system]

To study reactivity of hypothalamo-hypophyseal-adrenal system to stress in patients with thermal skin burns we determined the content of cortisol in blood, chemosensitivity of glucocorticoid receptors on thrombocytes and effects of dexamethasone infusions on these parameters. In patients with normal reactivity of the organism and increased initial level of cortisol its content was shown to be increased by 34.1% in 2-3 hours after infusion of dexamethasone, but it decreased in 5-6 hours and subsequently. In patients with low initial level of cortisol dexamethasone caused prolongation of the hormonal response (the level of cortisol increased by 57.9% in 2-3 hours; by 27.1% in 5-6 hours, and by 16.9% in 24 hours as compared to the initial level), which is a manifestation of its modifying effect on the reactivity of the system to stress. In these patients decrease in chemosensitivity of glucocorticoid receptors should be taken into consideration at analysis of the inflammatory reaction owing to modifying effects of steroid hormones on the cytokine production.