NORMAL OXIDATIVE ACTIVITY AND CHEMOTAXIS OF CIRCULATING NEUTROPHILS IN PATIENTS TREATED WITH PHOTOPHERESIS

In photopheresis peripheral leukocytes are exposed to photoactivated 8 -methoxypsoralen in an extracorporeal flow system. The present study w as performed to characterize the effect of photopheresis upon the func tion of peripheral circulating neutrophils. Superoxide generating capa city and chemotactic ability of peripheral circulating neutrophils wer e tested in seven patients immediately before and after treatment with photopheresis. Superoxide generation stimulated by phorbol-12-myrista te-13-acetate and N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (fMLP) and f MLP-induced chemotaxis were found not to be influenced by photopheresi s. We conclude that circulating neutrophils obtained from patients tre ated with photopheresis possess normal superoxide-generating capacity and chemotactic ability.