Changes in carnitine in polymorphonuclear leukocytes, mononuclear cells, and plasma from patients with inflammatory disorders.

After finding relatively large amounts of carnitine in polymorphonuclear leukocytes and mononuclear cells from healthy subjects, we studied carnitine status in these cells and plasma from 20 patients with inflammatory disorders subsequent to multiple trauma and (or) head injury. The nonesterified carnitine content in polymorphonuclear leukocytes from patients significantly exceeded that in healthy subjects, while it was significantly decreased in mononuclear cells. In addition, the acylcarnitine content of both types of cells from patients was significantly increased. The total carnitine of polymorphonuclear leukocytes from patients was significantly increased, while that in mononuclear cells was unchanged, as compared with healthy subjects. In plasma from patients, nonesterified carnitine was extremely decreased, while both short-chain acylcarnitine and long-chain acylcarnitine were significantly increased. More than half of the carnitine was acylated in polymorphonuclear leukocytes and mononuclear cells in all patients tested, less than half in these cells from healthy subjects. Also, the presence of infection in these patients does increase, but not significantly, the nonesterified and acylcarnitine of both polymorphonuclear leukocytes and mononuclear cells from these patients.