Phagocytic and bactericidal activities of neutrophils in duodenal ulcer patients during cimetidine treatment.

Phagocytic and bactericidal activities of neutrophils relative to Staphylococcus aureus 209 P strain were studied in 16 duodenal ulcer patients who were intravenously administered cimetidine in doses of 4 X 200 mg for 8 days and in a group of untreated healthy subjects. The investigations were made before the treatment on the last day of cimetidine administration, and one week after drug withdrawal. The bactericidal activity of neutrophils was found to be higher in duodenal ulcer patients than in the healthy controls. Cimetidine does not have a significant effect on the phagocytic activity of neutrophils and it has a moderately inhibitory effect (p less than 0.05) on the bactericidal activity relative to the ingested intracellular bacteria. This shows that cimetidine may modify some of the neutrophil functions in duodenal ulcer patients.