[Neutrophil chemotaxis. II. Clinical implications and therapeutic indications in children]. / La chemiotassi del neutrofilo. II. Implicazioni cliniche e cenni di terapia in età pediatrica.

Defects of neutrophil chemotaxis are usually accompanied by recurrent or chronic infections of the skin and the respiratory tract. The onset of clinical symptoms may occur early in infancy; infections tend to be severe and they are generally due by organisms which are of relatively low pathogenicity in the healthy subject. Abnormalities of neutrophil chemotaxis were classified and described as humoral, cellular and unclassified defects. The relevance of neutrophil chemotaxis in the single clinical entities was discussed, taking in particular account the most recent views on the argument. Some details on practical and theoretical therapeutic approaches were also reviewed.

[Neutrophil chemotaxis. I. Physiology aspects and study methods]. / La chemiotassi del neutrofilo. I. Aspetti di fisiologia e metodi di studio.

Neutrophil chemotaxis is a complex orchestration of biochemical and morphologic events that requires the integrity and coordination of a complicated series of cellular functions. Different substances (both endogenous and exogenous) with chemotactic activity for human neutrophils were described; their interaction with specific receptors on neutrophil cell membrane is requested to induce a directional motility. The ligand-receptor interaction causes the activation of intracellular metabolic pathways and the modification of cytoskeletal structures involved in the chemotactic response. Neutrophil chemotaxis may be studied, for clinical purpose, by in vitro and in vivo methods. The two approaches of investigation are complementary, and, if properly used, they may give a valuable help in defining the nature of the chemotactic defect.

[Chronic suppurative bronchopathy and motility defect of neutrophils: evaluation of an immunomodulating treatment]. / Broncopatia suppurativa cronica e difetto di motilità dei neutrofili: valutazione di un trattamento immunomodulante.

Five patients with recurrent infections of the lower respiratory tract, chronic bronchial suppuration and significant defect of polymorphonuclear granulocyte (PMN) motility were studied. Clinical evaluation and in vitro studies of PMN motility were performed before, during and after the treatment with levamisole chlorhydrate (2.5 mg/Kg twice a week). Clinical improvement was obtained in all the patients, together with a significant increase in the chemotactic response of PMN. No side effects were reported. After a follow-up of 7-18 months PMN chemotaxis remained normal in all the patients and a reappearance of respiratory symptoms was observed only in one subject.