Peripheral blood neutrophils in inflammatory bowel disease: morphological evidence ofin vivoactivation in active disease

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Abstract
Morphological evidence of activation in vivo of circulating neutrophils in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) was sought by quantitative light microscope examination of toluidine bluestained leucocyte preparations made from peripheral venous bloods that had been fixed immediately ex vivo. The proportion of spherical (unactivated) circulating neutrophils was reduced in active Crohn's disease (73%; 46–96 (median; range), n= 11) compared with inactive Crohn's (90%; 45–99; n= 18, Pn=13, Pn= 17) than in quiescent colitis (88%; 57–99, n= 13, PP<0.05). Activated neutrophils occur in the circulating pool of patients with active IBD and can be detected by light microscopy of peripheral venous blood leucocyte preparations.