A rapid and quantitative assay of phagocytosis-connected oxygen consumption by leukocytes in whole blood

We have devised a simple method for quantitative assay of the phagocytosis-connected oxygen consumption by human peripheral leukocytes. Time-consuming and leukocyte-debilitating cell fractionation procedure is avoided by the use of whole blood as assay material. Heparinized venous blood was treated with CO and put into a cuvette. A Clark-type oxygen electrode was equipped to the cuvette. A decrease in oxygen concentration in the whole blood was induced by the addition of bacteria. The decrease was exclusively dependent on phagocytizing leukocytes. All procedure can be performed within half an hour. Blood from boys with CGD showed little or negligible increase in oxygen consumption, and that from their mothers showed about 30% activity of control blood.