[Effect of prednisone and typhoid vaccine on the size of systemic neutrophil granulocyte pool]

Changes of total granulocyte pool in the organism were evaluated after administration of prednisone or typhoid vaccine. For this purpose the unsaturated capacity of serum vitamin B12 binding was determined. After administration of prednisone the rise of granulocytes in peripheral blood was associated with a rise in the unsaturated capacity of vitamin B12 binding by the serum which was not observed after administration of typhoid vaccine. This observation confirmed the suggestions that corticosteroids not only mobilize the bone marrow reserve of granulocytes but prolong also their survival in the organism.