Current view of neutrophil dysfunction: an integrated clinical perspective

Normal neutrophil function is dependent on the integration of chemotaxis, phagocytosis, degranulation and oxidative metabolism. The availability of in vitro assays for the separate quantitative evaluation of each function 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 function 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.