SUPPRESSIVE EFFECT OF SERA FROM PATIENTS UNDERGOING CHRONIC-HEMODIALYSIS ON NEUTROPHIL CHEMILUMINESCENCE RESPONSE

To determine the mechanism of easy infectability of uremic patients, w e studied the effect of sera from uremic patients who were undergoing chronic hemodialysis on the chemiluminescence (CL) response of polymor phonuclear leukocytes (PMN). The luminol-dependent CL response was exa mined following stimulation with phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) and N -formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (FMLP). The patient's sera supp ressed the CL response following stimulation by PMA, but not by FMLP. These findings suggest that sera from uremic patients undergoing hemod ialysis contain a suppressive substance that suppresses the activation of PMNs by PMA.