The few studies already published about
phagocyte functions in
Chediak-Higashi syndrome (CHS) has stated that
neutrophils present slow rate of bacterial
killing but normally ingest microorganisms. In the present study, both
phagocytosis and
killing of
Staphylococcus aureus were verified to be in
neutrophils from two
patients with CHS when these functions were simultaneously evaluated by a
fluorochrome phagocytosis assay.
Electron microscopic examination showed morphologic differences among neutophils from CHS
patients and normal
neutrophils regarding the
cytoplasmic structures and the aspects of the
phagolysosomes. It was noteworthy the presence of giant
phagolysosomes enclosing
bacteria in active proliferation commonly observed in CHS
neutrophils after 45 min of
phagocytosis, wich corresponded with the impaired bactericidal activity of these
leukocytes. The present results suggest that
phagocytosis may also be defective in CHS, and point out to the
sensitivity of the
fluorochrome phagocytosis assay and its application in
clinical laboratories