Analysis of polymorphonuclear leukocyte respiratory burst activity in uremic patients using whole-blood chemiluminescence.

The respiratory burst activity of peripheral leukocytes from 17 patients with chronic renal failure and 12 healthy individuals was assessed using the technique of whole-blood chemiluminescence (CL). Luminol- and lucigenin-dependent CL was measured in two dilutions of venous blood following stimulation with serum-treated zymosan or phorbol myristate acetate, and the CL peaks associated with a polymorphonuclear leukocyte count of 10(4)/ml were calculated. The mean CL peaks for the patients were significantly higher than those for the controls in all experimental designs (p less than 0.05). This enhanced leukocyte respiratory burst activity was not associated with the underlying renal abnormality or with the type of dialysis treatment, but may have been related to the induction of tissue enzymes which is known to occur in uremia.