EFFECT OF AZTREONAM UPON HUMAN POLYMORPHONUCLEAR LEUKOCYTE FUNCTIONS

Aztreonam (SQ 26,776), a new synthetic monobactam with an excellent antibacterial spectrum was analyzed in vitro. In this paper, the effect of aztreonam on the phagocytic process of human neutrophils isolated from fifteen healthy volunteers was studied. Chemotaxis was not modified with aztreonam at any of the doses used (10, 20, 40, 60, 80 and 100-mu-g/ml). On the other hand, this antibiotic at 100-mu-g/ml significantly increases (P < 0.05) Candida albicans ingestion as well as their digestion by neutrophils at 10 and 100-mu-g/ml.