© 1986 British Society for Rheumatology
research-article |
POLYMORPHONUCLEAR LEUCOCYTE FUNCTION IN RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS
Department of Bacteriology, and Centre for Rheumatic Diseases, Royal Infirmary Glasgow G4 OSF, UK
Correspondence to:
Address correspondence to Dr. R. Sturrock
Controversy exists over the function of polymorphonuclear leucocytes (PMN) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We found no difference in the phagocytic and migratory ability of PMN from 45 patients with RA, when compared with PMN from 19 RA patients who had a history of recurrent infection, and 40 normal healthy age- and sex-matched controls. We conclude that the increased incidence of bacterial infection reported in RA is not the consequence of an intrinsic defect in PMN function.
KEY WORDS: Polymorphonuclear leucocytes, Rheumatoid arthritis