Plasma levels of cutaneous burn toxin and lipid peroxides in thermal injury.

Lipid peroxides, formed as a consequence of oxygen free radical formation, are responsible for tissue damage in a great variety of pathological conditions including thermal injury. 'Cutaneous burn toxin', formed by application of heat to skin, is thought to be specific to the burn injury. It causes dose-dependent damage to mitochondrial and red cell membranes, and dose-dependent inhibition of interleukin-2-dependent growth of lymphocytes. The possibility that the toxicity of 'cutaneous burn toxin', a lipid-protein, is exerted through lipid peroxides, was examined by measuring the levels of both agents in plasmas of eight burn patients during the first week after their injury. It was observed that plasma lipid peroxides did not appear in parallel with absorption into the circulation of 'cutaneous burn toxin'. Lipid peroxide levels equally common to very low and very high burn toxin levels, were recorded. The pair of agents correlated negatively (r = -0.26) at a significance of only 0.1. In addition, isolated purified 'cutaneous burn toxin' contained no measurable lipid peroxide. No relationship was therefore demonstrated between plasma levels of 'cutaneous burn toxin' and lipid peroxides.