[Chemotaxis of human granulocytes "in vitro". Study of inflammatory rheumatic diseases]

68 mesures of chemiotaxis of the blood granulocytes carried out in 42 patients suffering from systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE-17 cases), rheumatoid polyarthritis (RP-15 cases) and sclerodermia (SD-10 cases) showed a deficit in 15 cases. The deficit seen is cellular or plasmatic in the former two conditions (SLE & RP) but purely cellular in the sclerodermia. In SLE there is a relationship between the chemiotaxic deficit and a renal attack or a reduction in complement. In RP a relationship was established between chemiotaxis and a marked rise in VS (?) (synovial volume ?) and the rheumatoid factor titre. A relationship with a visceral attack was seen in SD. Contrary to other studies reporting a constant chemiotaxic deficit in these conditions, the present work shows that the deficit : 1. exists in only a minority of patients ; 2. is transitory ; 3. is not associated solely with granulocytes but may also be related to plasmatic factors. The diminution of chemiotaxis which is always seen in the acute phase of the illness may result from the reduction on the quantities of less reactive granulocytes in the peripheral blood ; the most reactive pass out through the walls of the vessels and move towards the foci of inflammation.