Bactericidal activities of phagocytes in health and disease

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Abstract
It is clear from the above that all questions regarding host defense mechanisms cannot be answered now. What is clear, however, is that a beginning has been made. For example, phagocytes in leukocytes from children with PCM do not appear to engulf or kill bacteria as well as leukocytes collected from control children. Importantly, these deficient leukocytes have altered biochemical activities that serve to explain the inability of normal uptake and bactericidal activities. Data such as this, although more difficult to obtain, may prove more informative than uptake studies only. Such data, however, may pave the way for furthering our understanding of the role of phagocytosis in health and disease.