Possible implication of leukocytes in secondary pathological changes after spinal cord injury

We reviewed 95 consecutive patients with cervical spinal cord injury admitted within 2 days of injury and treated nonoperatively, to elucidate the relationship between neurological deterioration and the white blood cell count in the first 4 days after injury. The count for 14 patients who had neurological deterioration was 13.2 +/- 3.2 x 10(9)/l, and that for 81 patients who had no deterioration was 11.0 +/- 3.1 x 10(9)/l. None of 19 patients whose highest white blood cell count was less than 9 x 10(9)l deteriorated, while 14 of 76 patients whose count was 9 x 10(9)/l or more deteriorated. These results suggest that the white blood cell is important in the secondary pathological changes after mechanical injury to the spinal cord.