An inherited defect in granulocyte function: impaired chemotaxis, phagocytosis and intracellular killing of...

The neutrophil granulocytes of a 1-year-old boy with severe recurrent infections were found to have almost no chemotactic responsiveness, impaired phagocytosis and reduced intracellular killing of Candida albicans "in vitro". During the course of a febrile illness of unknown etiology which was accompanied by a leukemoid reaction, phagocytic activity became normal; the chemotactic response was also increased but still remained slightly subnormal. Family studies suggested that the defect was an inherited autosomal recessive one.