Compositions and methods for treating thermal injury

A method for inhibiting tissue necrosis in a tissue area surrounding a burn in an animal, the method comprising:

• treating the animal with a therapeutically effective amount of an antibody that specifically binds to an antigen selected from the group consisting of an ICAM-1 antigen, a CD18 antigen, an L-selectin antigen, a CD44 antigen, a P-selectin antigen, an E-selectin antigen, and ICAM-2 antigen, thereby inhibiting the binding and inflammatory functions of ICAM-1, CD18, L-selectin, CD44, P-selectin, E-selectin or ICAM-2.

A method for inhibiting tissue necrosis at a thermal skin injury in an animal, the method comprising:

• treating the animal with a therapeutically effective amount of an antibody that specifically binds to an antigen selected from the group consisting of ICAM-1 antigen, a CD18 antigen, an L-selectin antigen, a CD44 antigen, a P-selectin antigen, and an ICAM-2 antigen, thereby inhibiting the binding and inflammatory functions of ICAM-1, CD18, L-selectin, CD44, P-selectin, or ICAM-2.

A method for inhibiting tissue necrosis at a heat injury site on an animal comprising:

• treating the animal with a therapeutically effective amount of an antibody or an antigen binding fragment thereby, that specifically binds to an antigen selected from the group consisting of an ICAM-1 antigen, an L-selectin antigen, a CD44 antigen, a VLA-4 antigen, a P-selectin antigen, an E-selectin antigen, a CD18 antigen and an ICAM-2 antigen, thereby inhibiting the binding and inflammatory functions of ICAM-1, L-selectin, CD44, P-selectin, E-selectin, CD18, or ICAM-2.

A method for decreasing polymorphonuclear neutrophil mediated scarring in an animal having a second or third degree burn, said method comprising:

• inhibiting polymorphonuclear neutrophil activity by treating an animal having a second or third degree burn with a therapeutically effective amount of a pharmaceutically acceptable preparation containing an antibody that binds to an antigen selected from the group consisting of CD18 antigen, an ICAM-1 antigen, an L-selectin antigen, a CD44 antigen, a P-selectin antigen, an E-selectin antigen and an ICAM-2 antigen, thereby inhibiting the binding and inflammatory functions of ICAM-1, L-selectin, CD44, P-selectin, E-selectin, CD18, or ICAM-2, to decrease polymorphonuclear neutrophil mediated tissue scarring in the animal.

A method for inhibiting inflammatory cell-mediated and endothelial cell-mediated tissue necrosis at a skin burn site in an animal comprising treating the animal with a therapeutically effective amount of an antibody that inhibits tissue damage attendant a thermal injurv capable of binding to an antigen selected from the group consisting of an ICAM-1 antigen, and anti-CD18 antigen or an antigen binding fragment thereof, thereby inhibiting the binding and inflammatory functions of ICAM-1 or CD18, in a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier solution.

A method for treating a burn injury comprising administering about 10 mg/kg of an anti-ICAM monoclonal antibody to an animal having a burn injury.