All issues > Volume 24(3); 1981

Original Article

J Korean Pediatr Soc. 1981;24(3):221-228. Published online March 15, 1981.

The Nitroblue Tetrazoliom Dye Reduction Test in Epidemic Encephalitis Children.

Young Youn Choi, Kong In KWon, Hyung Suk Byun, Kyung Ryong Huh, Chull Sohn

¹Department of Pediatrics, Chonnam University Medical School

Abstract

Nitroblue Tetrazolium (NBT) dye can be reduced to water insoluble formazan by peripheral neutrophils during phagocytosis. A study was performed to evaluate the clinical significance of the NBT dye test in epidemic encephalitis children. The results obtained from the NBT dye test in 100 patients with epidemic encephalitis and 14 healthy children were asfollows; 1.The percentage and the absolute number of NBT positive neutrophils and total neutrophil count were significantly increased in epidemic enc-ephalitis. 2.The more the total neutrophil count, the higher the percentage and the absolute number of the NBT positive neutrophils (p 0.001). 3.There was positive correlation between the percentage of NBT positive neutrophils and total white blood cell count, total neutrophil count or body temperature recorded at the time of the NBT test(p0.001), but no correlation was found between the percentage of NBT positive neutrophils and mental state of the patients at the time of NBT test (p 0.1). 4.Ther was no correlation between the peripheral blood neutrophil count and the cerebrospinal fluid neutrophil count (p 0.1).

Keywords :NBT;Neutropil Count;Epidemic Enceaphalitis