[Neutrophil chemotactic dysfunction in multitransfused thalassemia patients].
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the chemotactic capability of neutrophils in thalassaemic patients under poly-transfusion regimens and in thalassaemia carriers.


METHODS
Twenty-one patients in multi-transfusion regimen diagnosed in the Ricardo Gutiérrez Children Hospital were studied. Of them, 17 had thalassaemia major, 3 S/beta thalassaemia and one sickle-cell anaemia. Twenty-one normal subjects comprised a control group. Chemotaxis was evaluated by two methods, namely, migration under agarose layer and in microchemotaxis chamber under stimulation with N-formyl-methionyl-n-phenylalanine at optimal concentrations of 10(-5) M and 10(-6) M, respectively.


RESULTS
In thalassaemia major patients, directed mobility of neutrophil assessed by both methods was significantly decreased with regard to the normal controls, whereas random mobility was preserved. The four patients under poly-transfusion who had not thalassaemia major showed the same neutrophil defect. On the contrary, chemotaxis and random mobility of the neutrophils from thalassaemia carriers (thalassaemia minor) were similar to those of the normal controls.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that the defect found in the patients might be caused by transfusion overload.
Palacios
M F
MF
División Inmunología Oncológica, IIHEMA, Academia Nacional de Medicina, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Testoni
R A
RA
Ballart
I J
IJ
de Miani
S A
SA
Díez
R A
RA
Estevez
M E
ME
Sen
L
L
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000755:Anemia, Sickle Cell / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy; D002633:Chemotaxis; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006405:Hematology / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D007153:Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009504:Neutrophils; D010587:Phagocytosis; D065227:Transfusion Reaction; D017086:beta-Thalassemia / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology* / Q000628:therapy
Disfunción quimiotáctica de los neutrófilos en pacientes talasémicos politransfundidos.