The effect of five kinds of plastic catheters (polyvinyl chloride, Teflon, polyurethane, Vialon and siliconized latex) on the phagocytic and bactericidal function of human polymorphonuclear leukocytes was evaluated. In the presence of the polyvinyl chloride, Teflon and siliconized latex catheters, superoxide radical production by polymorphonuclear leukocytes was significantly inhibited. The effect of the siliconized latex catheter was presumably mediated by products eluted from the catheter into the medium, since the incubation of polymorphonuclear leukocytes in eluates obtained from the incubation of this catheter in buffer induced a similar inhibitory effect. This phenomenon was not observed with polyurethane or Vialon catheters. Neither the catheters evaluated nor their eluates affected the uptake of opsonized Staphylococcus aureus by human polymorphonuclear leukocytes. It is concluded that the polyvinyl chloride, Teflon and siliconized latex catheters used in this study could impair the respiratory burst of human polymorphonuclear leukocytes.