MIGRATORY ACTIVITY OF BLOOD POLYMORPHONUCLEAR LEUKOCYTES DURING JUVENILE RHEUMATOID-ARTHRITIS, DEMONSTRATED WITH A NEW WHOLE-BLOOD MEMBRANE-FILTER ASSAY

Polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) migration is measured in whole blood in a migration chamber consisting of a membrane filter (3-mu m pores, 140 mu m thick) with an integrated chemoattractant depot (FMLP in sol id form) attached to a plastic container. Control chambers lack FMLP ( blanks). One test unit requires 300 mu l blood. Numbers and distributi on of the PMN immigrants into the filters are determined microscopical ly. Altogether 26 measurements of PMN migration in five juvenile rheum atoid arthritis (JRA) patients with varying disease activity were comp ared with the reactions of a healthy control group (N = 32). Correlati ons were calculated with conventional laboratory parameters (WBC, PLT, BSR, CRP, Hgb, serum Fe) and disease activity. In comparison with hea lthy controls, PMNs of JRA patients generally show a markedly increase d penetration depth into the filters irrespective the presence of the chemoattractant or the disease activity. Increased migratory reactions to FMLP in comparison to blanks were found during high disease activi ty only. The PMN penetration depth correlates positively with the CRP, and reciprocally with the Hgb blood levels. The migration assay combi nes fast and simple processing with good preservation of the genuine P MN activation state.