Inflammatory indices in chronic bronchitis. Monocyte-macrophage microbicidal activity.
Alveolar macrophages are important to the host defence of the lower airways. In smokers and patients with chronic bronchitis, important defects of blood monocyte functions have been identified, which may explain the increased incidence of pulmonary infections in these patients. Upon chronic stimulation, e.g. from tobacco smoke, disease may progress and macrophage activity is probably involved in the tissue damage of chronic bronchitis. As regards microbicidal activity of macrophages in patients with chronic bronchitis, no studies are available. Following pharmacological intervention, it is probably more reliable to measure specific components of macrophage metabolic and secretory activities, which are associated with microbicidal events, than to assess over-all microbicidal activity.
Nielson
H
H
Department of Clinical Microbiology, Statens Seruminstitut, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.
D001991:Bronchitis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D002908:Chronic Disease; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000276:immunology*; D008264:Macrophages / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D009000:Monocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology