[Adhesiveness and membrane glycoproteins of human polynuclear neutrophils]

Clinical and biological features of a recently recognized inherited syndrome are reported. This syndrome, Leukocyte Adherence Deficiency, is characterized by recurrent, life-threatening infections. The increased susceptibility to infectious agents is mainly related in the inability of the leukocytes to adhere to certain surfaces, because all adherence-related functions of the neutrophils that lead to bacterial killing are impaired. Adherence deficiency is due to moderate or severe deficiency of three structurally related glycoproteins (MO1, LFA-1 and gp 150,95). All three glycoproteins are heterodimers and share a common subunit whose absence is the cause of the disease.