Quantitative cytochemistry of the toxic granulation blood neutrophil

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Abstract
A quantitative cytochemical study was made, using scanning-integrating microdensitometry, of 1000 toxic granulation blood neutrophils from 20 infected patients in comparison with 1250 normal blood neutrophils. Myeloid precursor cells in 10 normal marrows were also studied. Normal bone marrow granulocyte maturation was associated with a progressive decrease in azurophilic granule enzymes (myeloperoxidase, .beta.-glucuronidase, acid phosphatase, chloroacetate esterase) and also Alcian blue staining for acid mucosubstance, but an increase in the specific granule marker lactoferrin. Toxic granulation blood neutrophils showed minor changes in the enzyme content of their azurophilic and specific granules, consistent with cell immaturity, and an increase in acid mucosubstance in azurophilic granules. Abnormal maturation of azurophilic granules, with persistece of acid mucosubstance, is the likely explanation for the intense Romanowsky dye staining of the toxic granulation neutrophil.