Neutrophils are the rapid deployment and effector arm of the immune system. They are present in large numbers in the circulation, through which they rapidly transit en route to tissiue, where they form the first line of celluar defense against invadin...
Neutrophils are the rapid deployment and effector arm of the immune system. They are present in large numbers in the circulation, through which they rapidly transit en route to tissiue, where they form the first line of celluar defense against invading microorganism. To fufill this defensive role, circulating neutrophils must adhere to the endothelium of capillaries and venules adjacent to the inflammatory locus, migrate through the vessel wall to the area of inflammation, phagocytose opsonized bacteria, kill ingested organisms and, finally, inactivate their own toxic products to prevent damage to normal tissue. Different aspects of this complex process, such as chemotaxis and phagocytosis, can be separately defined and studied in vitro but they are clearly linked by common mechanism. Margination, chemotaxis and phagocytosis all depend upon neutrophil adhesion. Respiratory burst activity depend upon generating reactive oxygen species with potent microbicidal activity. The complexity of the neutrophil response to inflammatory creates many difficulties for the study of neutrophil function in vitro. Subsequent function tests must be selected with an understanding of any associated technical problems. The investigation of abnormal neutrophil responses may necessitate the screening of several tests of function.