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The Role of the Phagocyte in Host-Parasite Interactions

I. The Phagocytic Capabilities of Leukocytes from Lymphoproliferative Disorders^*

Anthony J. Sbarra, William Shirley, Ratnam J. Selvaraj, Eietsu Ouchi and Ernest Rosenbaum

( Department of Pathology and Medical Research, St. Margaret's Hospital; and Department of Obststrics and Gynecology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts)

The phagocytic and killing capabilities of leukocytes from a number of lymphoproliferative disorders have been studied. For comparative purposes particle uptake rates (phagocytic rates) and subsequent killing rates (bactericidal rates) have been determined on a series of normal (control) leukocyte populations. These data have been found to vary with the bacteria-to-phagocyte ratio. By use of the method of least squares a line of regression was calculated over a selected bacteria-to-phagocyte ratio. The standard error of the estimates was calculated, and arbitrarily two standard errors of the mean were established as a trend boundary. Thus any subsequent result that did not fall within this boundary was considered abnormal, and conversely any result that did fall within the boundary was considered normal.

According to this standard it has been shown that a decreased phagocytic rate and subsequent bactericidal rate are characteristic of some of the lymphoproliferative disorders studied. By substituting normal serum for autologous serum in the phagocytic system many abnormal leukocyte clearance patterns returned to normal. This would suggest the participation of altered serum factors in the decreased phagocytic capability which was observed. However, the presence of a modified leukocytic function is also indicated by some of the results. In most cases patients with abnormal clearance patterns also show some clinical complications. The converse, however, is not true. These complications are discussed in relation to the abnormal clearance patterns observed.

Also, the data suggest that, generally, leukocytes from patients undergoing steroid (prednisone) therapy have a decreased bactericidal activity.

^* This investigation was supported by Public Health Service Research Grant CA 05307 from the National Cancer Institute and Grant P 311 from the American Cancer Society.

Charlton Fellow, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tufts University School of Medicine.

Present address: Mount Zion Hospital Medical Center, San Francisco 15, Calif.

Received 6/25/64.