Superoxide anion production and expression of cytochrome b 558 by neutrophils are impaired in some patients with myelodysplastic syndrome.

Superoxide anion (O2-) production and expression of cytochrome b 558 by neutrophils were determined in 20 patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). The reduction of O2- production was noted in eight of the 20 patients and an increase was noted in four patients when neutrophils were stimulated by n-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (FMLP), while a low level of O2- production was found in 11 and an increase in six MDS patients when they were stimulated by phorbol myristate acetate (PMA). Among them, seven patients showed a decrease and four an increase in O2- production on stimulation with either FMLP or PMA. Expression of cytochrome b 558 was found to be at low levels in patients who had neutrophils showing decreased O2- production when stimulated with FMLP, indicating that decreased expression of cytochrome b 558 might contribute to the impairment of O2- production in some MDS patients. In this study, no significant differences in O2- production were noted among subtypes of MDS; however, the patients who had received prednisolone showed lower levels of O2- production than those who had not received prednisolone. Patients manifesting episodes of infection had reduced levels of O2- production compared with those without infection. Furthermore, the fact that one patient who exhibited a marked reduction in neutrophil counts together with reduced O2- production died of fatal infection, suggests that the determination of O2- production, in combination with hematological features, may be of some help in predicting severe infection.