Abstract
Humoral and cellular immunity against bacterial infection is a very important defense mechanism in pediatric surgery. However, only few report about granulocyte function in a variety of pediatric surgical patients has been seen. In this paper, we established following assay systems to evaluate oxygen-dependent bactericidal activity of human granulocytes; (1) intracellular killing activity of Staphylococcus aureus, (2) superoxyide- generating activity, and (3) activity of myeloperoxydase. For ingestion of Staphyloccus aureus, 10% normal fresh serum in the medium has provided the maximal intracellular killing activity. Of the granulocyles in patients of biliary atresia (BA), the function of intracellular killing is depressed as compared with that of control group. The production of superoxide anion is also depressed, but the activity of myeloperoxidase is not depressed in granulocytes in BA group. In patients of BA, it is suggested that, the production of superoxide anion is depressed, and followed by depression of intracellular killing activity among the oxygen-dependent micro-bicidal system. Thus, these assay systems are useful for the assessment of granulocyte function in the field of pediatric surgery.
