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Recurrent staphylococcal abscesses associated with defective neutrophil chemotaxis and allergic rhinitis

H R Hill, P B Williams, G G Krueger

    Annals of Internal Medicine
    |July 1, 1976
    PubMed

    Insights

    Recurrent staphylococcal infections in four patients were linked to intermittent defects in neutrophil granulocyte chemotaxis, particularly during allergic rhinitis flare-ups. This immune dysfunction resolved when symptoms subsided, suggesting a transient host defense issue.

    Area of Science:

    • Immunology
    • Infectious Diseases

    Background:

    • Recurrent staphylococcal infections, such as furunculosis and deep abscesses, suggest potential host defense mechanism defects.
    • Patients often present with concurrent allergic rhinitis, preceding or coinciding with infection onset.

    Observation:

    • A significant impairment in neutrophil granulocyte chemotaxis was observed in patients when symptomatic with allergic rhinitis and abscesses.
    • Neutrophil random migration, phagocytosis, bactericidal activity, lymphocyte T-cell populations, and immunoglobulin levels (IgA, IgG, IgM, IgE) were within normal limits.
    • Neutrophil function normalized in patients when they were symptom-free from allergic rhinitis and infections.

    Findings:

    • Defective neutrophil chemotaxis is intermittent and directly correlates with the presence of allergic rhinitis and active infections.
    • This neutrophil dysfunction can occur independently of elevated immunoglobulin E levels, challenging previous assumptions.

    Implications:

    • Suggests that intermittent neutrophil defects associated with allergic phenomena can predispose individuals to recurrent bacterial infections.
    • Highlights the importance of considering transient immune dysfunctions in patients with recurrent infections and allergic conditions.
    • This finding may lead to new diagnostic approaches for identifying susceptibility to recurrent staphylococcal infections.

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