Extracellular Factors Influencing Staphylocidal Capacity of Human Polymorphonuclear Leukocytes

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Abstract
Summary: A method is presented employing cells adsorbed to glass which can be washed free of extracellular bacteria and exposed to various conditions. The results of studies of the effect of inoculum size, incubation temperature and serum factors on phagocytosis and killing of various Groups of Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis are discussed. Phagocytosis is a linear function of the inoculum size, and the rate of bacterial killing is independent of the inoculum size. Killing rate increases from 26 to 36°C, but is stable above 36°C. Heat labile serum components facilitate phagocytosis in 10% serum concentration, but both phagocytosis and killing occur to measurable extents in heated, zymosan-treated, and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA)-treated sera. No difference between rates of killing of virulent and relatively avirulent S. aureus is detected.