Functions of peripheral-blood monocytes and granulocytes in cutaneous T-cell lymphoma

Granulocyte and monocyte functions (phagocytosis, intracellular killing, chemokinesis and chemotaxis) and the opsonic and chemotactic activity of the serum of twenty-two patients with cutaneous T-cell lymphoma were assessed. Granulocyte functions were within the normal control range in most cases. The monocyte functions showed more variation in the test results; in six out of twenty-two patients intracellular killing of Staphylococcus aureus was depressed and in four out of ten patients a disturbance in monocyte chemotaxis was found. Two patients with a decreased chemotactic response also had an impaired capacity to kill S. aureus. No correlation was found between the cell disturbance and susceptibility to infection, stage of the disease, or clinical course in these patients.