Granulocyte chemiluminescence in patients with postoperative infections

In patients with postoperative infections, the oxygen-dependent microbicidal responses of separated granulocytes to a microbe isolated from each patient, a strain of Escherichia coli, and zymosan were evaluated by luminol-enhanced chemiluminescence. In patients with major postoperative infection, chemiluminescence responses to all particles were depressed, but no such changes were seen in patients with minor postoperative infection. No specific depression was seen in chemiluminescence responses to the isolated bacteria. The decreases found in chemiluminescence responses were not likely to be due to the operation, but at the time of measurement were probably due to the infection and reflect the depressed microbicidal capacity of granulocytes.