A suppressor-inducer factor produced by burn trauma-associated T cells.

Six days after a full-thickness scald burn in specific-pathogen free mice, potent suppressive activity was observed in the serum and in supernatants of splenic T cells. The serum activity could be blocked by addition of a monoclonal anti-T suppressor molecule antibody to assay cultures. An examination of the six-day postburn T cell supernatants revealed suppressor inducer T cell (Tsi) activity with a number of characteristics of other Tsi factors described in other systems. These observations further implicate the suppressor T cell pathway in the immunoregulatory sequelae of severe thermal trauma.