Clinical aspects of neutrophil locomotion disorders

Cellular locomotion is a crucial function for conditioning the arrival to and the behavior of neutrophils in the inflammatory site. It can be spontaneous or stimulated by chemical agents, along chemical gradient (chemotaxis) or in absence of a gradient (chemokinesis). The availability of in vitro and in vivo assays has permitted the definition of specific congenital and acquired neutrophil abnormalities, which are associated with defective host resistance. The appreciation of complex and often adverse effects of certain systemic diseases and drugs on neutrophil locomotion as well as the use of new approaches to therapy suggest the importance of assessing the role of the neutrophil in states of impaired host defense.