[Assessment of the phagocytosis and intracellular killing of Candida albicans by granulocytes of patients with atopic dermatitis].

Using morphological and radionuclide methods the ability of engulfing and intracellular killing of Candida albicans cells by granulocytes of patients with atopic dermatitis was tested. The patients had moderately intense lesions without secondary infections. The results obtained by the morphological method, that is the percent of phagocytizing granulocytes, the percent of C. albicans cells engulfed by the granulocytes and the percent of killed C. albicans cells in the group of 25 patients and in the group of 25 controls were not statistically significantly different. The radionuclide method with 51Cr labelling of Candida albicans failed to demonstrate differences between 15 patients and 25 controls in the intracellular killing of these cells. No significant effect of the serum of healthy subjects on the functions of the granulocytes and no effect of the serum of the patients on granulocyte functions of controls were noted.