COMPARISON OF CIRCULATING PHAGOCYTE OXIDATIVE ACTIVITY MEASURED BY CHEMILUMINESCENCE IN WHOLE-BLOOD AND ISOLATED POLYMORPHONUCLEAR LEUKOCYTES

The generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was measured by chemil uminescence (Ct) in whole blood and isolated polymorphonuclear leukocy tes (PMNLs) in 113 subjects, There were no differences in ROS producti on in males and females, smokers and non-smokers and no age dependency . A significant correlation was found between whole blood Ct parameter s and between parameters derived from isolated cells, but there was no correlation when these parameters were compared using isolated PMNLs and whole blood, Variations in serum lipid levels did not account for the variability of Ct parameters in blood or PMNLs. Both methodologies had the same validity in demonstrating priming of phagocytes. Zymosan -induced Ct was more sensitive in detecting distinct functional states of phagocytes than FMLP-induced CL.