HUMAN-NEUTROPHILS REQUIRE ACTIVATION BY MONONUCLEAR LEUKOCYTE CONDITIONED MEDIUM TO KILL THE PATHOGENIC FREE-LIVING AMEBA, NAEGLERIA-FOWLERI

  • 1 January 1984
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 56  (3) , 559-566
Abstract
N. fowleri is a free-living amoeba which causes a fulminant and rapidly fatal meningoencephalitis in man. Human neutrophils fail to kill the amoeba in vitro, but can do so if they are exposed to conditioned medium (CM) from PHA stimulated mononuclear leukocytes (MNL). Specific antibody or complement was required to effect amoeba killing by CM modified neutrophils. Only short time exposure of the leukocytes to CM was required to endow them with amoebicidal properties. The CM contained neutrophil migration inhibition activity and an activity(ies) which induced a respiratory burst in neutrophils. Results highlight the importance of MNL products other than specific antibody in neutrophil antimicrobial activity.