TRANSIENT HEMOPHAGOCYTOSIS IN BRUCELLA-MELITENSIS INFECTION

  • 1 January 1984
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 108  (3) , 213-216
Abstract
Bone marrow phagocytic activity was studied in 40 patients with B. melitensis infection and 35 patients with a variety of medical conditions. Evidence of erythrophagocytosis was found in 14 of the 40 patients with B. melitensis infection and in 15 of the 35 control cases; this was taken as baseline bone marrow phagocytic activity. Considerably increased erythrophagocytosis or phagocytosis of all blood elements by increased number of histiocytes was found in 1 and 7 patients, respectively, in the brucellosis group. All but 1 patient with increased phagocytic activity had splenomegaly. These findings may reflect an intense host response in some patients with B. melitensis infection.