[In vitro investigations of microphages function in patients with chronic mucocutaneous candidosis (author's transl)].

In five patients with either familial or non-familial type of chronic mucocutaneous candidosis some properties of phagocytic function of the polymorphonuclear leucocytes (PMNL) have been studied in vitro. In each of the patients there were found: a) a decreased chemotactic activity of PMNL, b) a weakness of intake and of intracellular destruction of Candida albicans cells by PMNL, c) an impairment of phagocytosis and intracellular killing of Candida albicans as well of Staphylococcus aureus by PMNL. The rate of phagocytosis of heat-inactivated Candida albicans cells by PMNL was normal in each case. In the serum of two patients a phagocytosis inhibiting factor is supposed to exist. In PMNL of 3 patients a defective activity of NADH-dependent oxidase was found. The occurrence of hereditary CMCC in a father and his two daughters points to an autosomal dominant trait, whereas in most cases of familiar CMCC hitherto described an autosomal recessive mode of transmission was found.