Superoxide generation and cytotactic response of irradiated neutrophils

Irradiation of blood components has been used to prevent transfusion-related graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) in immunocompromised patients. This study was designed to determine the effect of irradiation on neutrophil aggregation, chemotaxis, and superoxide generation. Purified neutrophils were irradiated with a Cesium source at four doses ranging from 0 to 17,500 rads. Formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (FMLP) and zymosan-treated serum (ZTS) cytotaxin-induced chemotaxis and migration were determined in the agarose assay. Neutrophil aggregation to FMLP was determined by aggregometry. Superoxide generation and random migration were not affected by irradiation at doses up to 17,500 rads. When compared to nonirradiated controls, the chemotactic response to ZTS remained normal, with an insignificant decline from 174 +/- 31.0 to 150 +/- 42.3 (mean +/- SD) units. The chemotactic response to FMLP declined insignificantly, from 228 +/- 31.3 at 0 rad to 207 +/- 26.4 at 17,500 rads. The aggregation response to FMLP remained within the normal range but declined from 0.78 +/- 0.11 to 0.61 +/- 0.18. At the radiation doses currently used to reduce the risk of transfusion-related GVHD, neutrophil superoxide generation and chemotactic response remain essentially normal.