Defective monocyte chemotactic responsiveness in patients with active tuberculosis

Monocyte migration was studied in 15 patients with newly diagnosed tuberculosis and 17 healthy control subjects matched for age, sex and ethnic group, using a raft modification of the Boyden chamber. Compared with matched controls, patients with tuberculosis exhibited impaired in vitro monocyte random locomotion and directional locomotion (chemotaxis) in response to 2% casein. However, no correlation was found between in vitro monocyte migration and monocyte count, radiological extent of disease or in vitro dermal reactivity to tuberculin-PPD. The observed defects were corrected during the course of chemotherapy.