[Phagocytic activity of peripheral blood leukocytes during acute myocardial infarction]

Coronary occlusion may cause acute myocardial infarction associated with many cellular and humoral disturbances of the immune system. The aim of this investigation was to examine phagocytic activity of peripherial blood monocytes and neutrophils as potential cellular markers of systemic immunological events in acute myocardial infarction.

This study included thirty patients following first acute myocardial infarction and thirty healthy volunteers. Immunological analyses were performed on admission and repeated on the second and seventh days after the acute event. Monocytes and neutrophils were obtained from heparinized whole blood after centrifugation and separation on density gradient and incubated with fixed number of heat inactivated and painted particles of yeast. We investigated the following parameters of phagocytic activity: percentage of phagocytosis, phagocytic index, absolute phagocytic index, phagocyte count in a fixed volume of peripherial blood and phagocytic capacity.

Except phagocytic index, all phagocytic parameters of monocytes and neutrophils were increased in acute myocardial infarction patients on admission and on the second day of hospitalization. On the seventh day after acute event only the mononuclear phagocyte count in fixed volume of peripheral blood showed significant increase in acute myocardial infarction patients, while percentage of phagocytosis, phagocyte count in fixed volume of peripheral blood and phagocyte capacity of neutrophils were increased during the whole investigated period.

These data suggest that acute myocardial infarction was followed with strong systemic inflammatory response to myocardial damage. Furthermore, activated monocytes and neutrophils could be a significant source of free radicals, which might be involved in lipid peroxidation and cause tissue damage in early postinfarction period.