Phagocytosis in patients and carriers of chronic granulomatous disease

The phagocytic capacity of leucocytes from four patients and two carriers of chronic granulomatous disease (C.G.D.) was compared to that of normal leucocytes. Leucocytes from C.G.D. patients phagocytised more Staphylococcus aureus than did normal leucocytes after 5, 10, and 20 minutes of incubation. Phagocytosis by leucocytes from two carriers of C.G.D. was intermediate between that in the patients and in controls. In contrast, phagocytosis of Streptococcus faecalis, an organism readily killed by C.G.D. leucocytes, was similar for control and C.G.D. leucocytes. Enhanced phagocytosis may represent an attempt by leucocytes to compensate for a bactericidal abnormality. In addition, these observations may partly explain why carriers of C.G.D. are not more susceptible to infection despite abnormal leucocyte function. Detection of carriers using the described assay of phagocytosis appears relatively simple compared to previously described methods.