title: Activity of human blood leukocytes against Toxoplasma gondii.
abstract: Previous reports on the ability of Toxoplasma gondii to multiply within human mononuclear phagocytes have supported the concept that the phagocytes may protect Toxoplasma from antibody and act as a transport mechanism for dissemination of the organism throughout the body. However, after phagocytosis of viable Toxoplasma, greater than 80% of freshly isolated human peripheral blood monocytes and 50% of polymorphonuclear leukocytes rapidly destroyed these intracellular organisms. Virtually no replication of Toxoplasma occurred within these cells, as determined by microscopic examination and by uptake of [3H]uracil. These results suggested that circulating phagocytes from humans restrict rather than facilitate the initial dissemination of Toxoplasma.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001345:Autoradiography; D001692:Biological Transport; D001770:Blood Bactericidal Activity; D005260:Female; D006098:Granulocytes / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000502:physiology; D008264:Macrophages / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D009000:Monocytes / Q000502:physiology; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000502:physiology; D010587:Phagocytosis; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000502:physiology*