ABSTRACT
We investigated spontaneous, chemotaxis-, phagocytosis- and proteinkinase C-dependent respiratory burst of neutrophils and monocytes in the whole blood of patients with familial Mediterranean fever (FMF). We also analysed transient activation of neutrophils and monocytes on the level of a single cell using flow cytofluorimetry. It is shown that compared to healthy donors, the respiratory burst of monocytes and neutrophils in the patients is characterized by an increase in both spontaneous and inducible production of free radicals. In FMF patients probability of transient activation of chemotaxis- and phagocytosis-dependent respiratory burst is higher. This has an important influence rather on production of free radical by activated cells than on their number.
