Releasing of oxygen reactive species in activated granulocytes play an important role in the intracellular killing of bacteria. The respiratory burst is accompanied by chemiluminescence (chl). In vitro, granulocyte chl can be stimulated by nFLMP (bacterial peptide) or opsonised zymosan (OZ) after their binding to chemotactic surface receptors or FcR and CR, respectively. Chl can be induced also by non receptor way by PMA. We have found that blood granulocytes taken from children with recurrent upper respiratory tract infections demonstrated significantly decreased ability to oxidative metabolism after stimulation by n-FMLP. Inability of granulocytes to respond to only one of three above mentioned stimulators can suggests deficit of this enzyme isoform which is necessary for intracellular signal transduction. THE AIM of this study was to assess the activity of peripheral blood granulocytes in two children from two families, suffering from recurrent otitis media.
Materials and methods: Study was performed in the 12 month old boy and 13 month old sick girl and in the children's parents. Chemiluminescence was measured in three blood samples, before and after n-FMLP, OZ and PMA stimulation. The light emission was measured in scintillation counter in presence of luminol. The study was performed after 2-3 weeks after treatment of otitis media.
Results: Both children had reduced response with FMLP and PMA and additionally, the girl had decreased response after OZ. Both boy's parents had decreased response only with n-FMLP. The diseased girl's father demonstrated a lack of response after all three stimulators.
Conclusion: 1. The study of chemiluminescence stimulated with the three known stimulators increased the chance of recognising disturbances in granulocyte function. 2. Recognising wrong function child's granulocytes should be an indication for parents' study.