[Chronic granulomatous disease. A disease model with new therapeutic possibilities]

Chronic granulomatous disease is an inherited disorder characterized by recurrent infections from early childhood. The disease is due to reduced production of reactive oxygen intermediates in host phagocytes, causing inefficient killing of bacteria. Recently it has been shown that the immuno-modulating compound interferon-gamma can stimulate oxygen metabolism in the phagocytes of these patients. Immuno-modulating treatment with recombinant proteins may prove to be important in the treatment of this and other related disorders.