[Myeloperoxidase deficiency--blemish or disease? Evaluation of 60,337 differential blood pictures].

Leukocyte differential counting by flow cytochemistry (H 6000, Technicon) has shown 32 subjects with partial or complete leukocyte myeloperoxidase deficiency in a population of 60,337 patients screened at a reference laboratory over a one year period. Some of the patients were hospitalized, but most were outpatients. Partial (27 patients) or complete (5 patients) myeloperoxidase deficiency was confirmed by examination of cytochemical stains (Graham-Knoll method). None had hematologic malignancy. Eleven of these 32 patients had recurrent infections; 3 of these patients were found to have a hereditary disturbance which also involved other members of the family. The findings suggest that the incidence of myeloperoxidase deficiency is much higher than was previously suspected.