Genetic determination of phagocytic activity of polymorphonuclear leucocytes.

Sixty-three persons with the known HLA-A, -B, -C, -DR and -Dw antigens were investigated for phagocytic ability, candidacidal activity, respiratory burst values, and the levels of circulating immune complexes, C2, C4, IgG, IgM, and IgA. The investigated persons were divided into the HLA-DR2/Dw2, the HLA-DR3/Dw3 and a control group, members of which possessed neither antigen in question. The phagocytic activity of polymorphonuclear leucocytes ingesting dead cells of C. albicans and the candidacidal activity were found to be significantly lower (P less than 0.02) in the HLA-DR3/Dw3 compared to the control group. The respiratory burst values did not considerably differ in all three groups under study. The levels of circulating immune complexes were higher in both the HLA-DR2/Dw2 and HLA-DR3/Dw3 in comparison with the control group.