FUNCTIONAL-ACTIVITY OF PERIPHERAL-BLOOD NEUTROPHILS IN CHRONIC BRUCELLOSIS PATIENTS

The functional activity of peripheral blood neutrophils was studied by their main functional and metabolic parameters. The group of chronic brucellosis patients under study included 32 patients. The control group consisted of 35 practically healthy donors. The complex of methods, used for the evaluation of the functional activity of peripheral blood neutrophil leukocytes, included the determination of adhesion, activity of nitro blue tetrazolium reduction, enzymatic activity of myeloperoxidase and acid phospatase, the level of cation proteins and the production of active forms of oxygen (AFO) by these cells. Chronic brucellosis patients were found to have disturbances in the adhesive capacity of phagocytizing cells and the production of highly bactericidal AFO. These disturbances in the activity of phagocytizing cells may be one of the mechanisms contributing to incomplete phagocytosis in chronic brucellosis in humans.