Defective Adherence of Polymorphonuclear Leukocytes to Nylon Induced by Thalassemic Serum

Abstract

The effects of sera obtained from 18 patients with homozygous β-thalassemia on the adherence and chemotaxis of normal polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNLs) was studied. The adherence of PMNLs suspended in thalassemic serum was 3.1% ± 2.50% (mean ± sd) compared with 17.9% ± 8.0% adherence in control serum (P < 0.00001). Zymosan-treated thalassemic serum did not generate chemotactic factors, and zymosan-treated normal serum did not induce chemotaxis of PMNLs suspended in thalassemic serum. When added to zymosan-treated normal plasma, thalassemic serum inhibited augmentation of PMNL adherence to nylon columns. These abnormalities were due to a heat-labile factor(s) in the sera of patients with thalassemia. Suspending PMNLs in heated thalassemic serum (56 C for 30 min) resulted in an increase of adherence to 14.6% ± 6.2% (P < 0.0001). PMNLs suspended in heated thalassemic serum responded normally to chemotactic attractants.