title: Chronic inhalation of cigarette smoke reduces phagocytosis in peripheral blood leukocytes.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Phagocytosis activity of peripheral blood leukocytes in smokers or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients was found to be controversial and dependent on the phagocytic stimulus.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We demonstrated that long-term exposure to cigarette smoke in mice clearly suppressed the phagocytosis of granulocytes and monocytes from peripheral blood.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Impaired phagocytosis activity of peripheral blood leukocytes may have a systemic effect and potentially contribute to smoking-associated diseases such as pneumonia and lung cancer.
authors.affiliation: Medical Faculty, Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Saarland University, Kirrberger Straße, 66421, Homburg, Saar, Germany. thomas.tschernig@uks.eu.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tschernig
authors.affiliation: Medical Faculty, Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Saarland University, Kirrberger Straße, 66421, Homburg, Saar, Germany. andrea.rabung@uks.eu.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rabung
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine V-Pulmonology, Allergology and Respiratory Critical Care Medicine, Medical Faculty, Saarland University, 66421, Homburg, Saar, Germany. meike.voss@uks.eu.
authors.forename: Meike
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Voss
authors.affiliation: Medical Faculty, Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Saarland University, Kirrberger Straße, 66421, Homburg, Saar, Germany. carola.meier@uks.eu.
authors.forename: Carola
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Meier
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine V-Pulmonology, Allergology and Respiratory Critical Care Medicine, Medical Faculty, Saarland University, 66421, Homburg, Saar, Germany. robert.bals@uks.eu.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bals
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine V-Pulmonology, Allergology and Respiratory Critical Care Medicine, Medical Faculty, Saarland University, 66421, Homburg, Saar, Germany. christoph.beisswenger@uks.eu.
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Beisswenger
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000187:drug effects*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D010587:Phagocytosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000097:blood*