Determination of posttransfusion granulocyte kinetics by chemiluminescence in chronic granulomatous disease

A 14 year old boy with CGD of childhood received HLA-matched granulocyte transfusions in the therapy of an intramural abscess of the ileum. Donor granulocyte survival after transfusion was determined with the endotoxin-stimulated NBT test as well as an assay of chemiluminescence employing whole blood. The presence of circulating donor PMNs after transfusion was documented by both techniques. The half-life of donor cells in the first 5 hr following transfusion was approximately 1.4 hr with both techniques. The greatest number of transfused cells was detected by both methods in the patient's blood immediately after the completion of the transfusion. At this time 22.7% of the expected increment in donor PMN concentration was detected by the NBT test, and 13.8% of the expected increment was detected by chemiluminescence assay. Both techniques allow studies of posttransfusion granulocyte kinetics in CGD because of the basic underlying metabolic abnormality of recipient but not donor cells. The chemiluminescence assay may also be adaptable to use in neutropenic patients receiving PMN transfusions.