ADHERENCE AND PHAGOCYTOSIS OF YEAST CELLS BY BLOOD MONOCYTES EFFECTS IN VITRO OF A THERAPEUTIC DOXYCYCLINE CONCENTRATION

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Abstract
The effect of a therapeutic doxycyline concentration on yeast-cell phagocytosis by human blood monocytes was studied in vitro by means of a fluoresence assay. This method allows discrimination between monocyte-adherent yeast cells and ingested yeast cells. The adhesive and phagocytic capacity of 50 monocytes was measured in 16 healthy donors. Yeast-cell adherence was not influenced by doxycycline. A slight depression of phagocytosis by doxycycline was suggested. The median difference between doxycycline-treated and control monocytes was 30% (P = 0.07). It is reasonable to assume that a possible inhibitory effect of doxycycline on monocyte phagocytosis is negligible in healthy individuals. A clinically significant effect cannot be excluded in severely immunocompromised patients.