Normal granulocyte function but impaired monocyte function in a patient with aplastic anemia.
Granulocytopenia is an invariable finding in aplastic anemia (AA) and bacterial infections are a frequent complication and major cause of death in patients suffering from this bone marrow disorder. Using well-established assays, we determined the chemotaxis of granulocytes and monocytes as well as the phagocytic capacity of monocytes and oxidative metabolism of granulocytes in a patient with aplastic anemia of unknown etiology. Our results indicate a normal granulocyte oxidative metabolism and granulocyte chemotaxis towards formyl-leucyl-methionyl-phenylalanine (fMLP), whereas monocyte chemotaxis and phagocytic capacity were markedly reduced in this patient.
D000328:Adult; D000741:Anemia, Aplastic / Q000276:immunology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D002634:Chemotaxis, Leukocyte; D006098:Granulocytes / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D009000:Monocytes / Q000502:physiology*; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D010587:Phagocytosis