RESUMO
This study was conducted on 90 subjects classified into 4 groups; group I, included 20 healthy children as control for B- thalassemia major, group II included 25 patients with B-thalassemia major, group III included 20 healthy individuals as control for B- thalassemia minor and group IV included 25 cases of B-thalassemia minor. All members of each group were subjected to full clinical examination, laboratory investigations including: CBP, Hb electrophoresis for group II and IV, estimation of phagocytic activity of PMNLs using heat killed Candida albicans and estimation of peroxidase activity of PMNLs. The obtained data revealed the presence of highly significant decrease [P <0.001] of both phagocytic percent [P%] and phagocytic index [PI] of PMNLs in cases of B-thalassemia major compared with normal control. Also, the presence of an inhibitory effect of patient's serum of PMNLs activity [P% and PI] as compared with normal control [P <0.001]. This impairment in ingestive power of PMNLs in patients of B-thalassemia major may be one of causes of high incidence of infection among these patients