All issues > Volume 8(5); 1965

Original Article

J Korean Pediatr Soc. 1965;8(5):9-14. Published online November 30, 1965.

Phagocytic Activity of Leucocytes in Malnutrition

chul kyu Kim¹

¹Dept, of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Seoul National University.

Abstract

It is generally believed that malnourished patients are more prone to bacterial infection than normal healthy individuals. Increased susceptibility to infection has been attributed to depressing the reticuloendothelial systems, producing a diminution in the number of cells released into bloodstream, a reduction in antibody production, and a decrease in phagocytic activities as well as other functions. Phagocytosis of npn-pathogenic staphylococcus albus has been studied in 13 well nourished subjects and in 23 patients with chronic malnourished state. The opsonocytophagic Index, that is the mean ingestion of the staphylococci by neutrophil polymor phonuclear leukocyte, was decreased in malnourished group compared with well nourished group. (4.99:7. 64) The phagocytosis was not related to age and anemia, but it was increasing proportionally to serum protein level.

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