Walters T R, Reddy B N
J Clin Pathol. 1974 Oct;27(10):783-5. doi: 10.1136/jcp.27.10.783.
Patients with sickle cell anaemia have an increased susceptibility to bacterial infections Previous reports of false-negative nitro blue tetrazolium (NBT) tests in the presence of bacteria infection and of a faulty phagocytic response following stimulation in vitro have suggested the possibility of polymorphonuclear dysfunction in certain patients with sickle cell anaemia. In the present study an unstimulated, histochemical NBT technique was used to evaluate the test in patients with sickle cell anaemia. There was a significant difference between the results in the group of patients with infection (mean NBT-positive cells 42.7%) compared to those without infection (mean 9.4%). There was no significant correlation between the total white blood cell count, absolute number of polymorphonuclear cells, and infectious complications. These findings indicate an appropriate polymorphonuclear cell response, as evaluated by the NBT test, in patients with sickle cell anaemia and bacterial infection. The NBT test may be used as an additional parameter in the differentiation of those patients with sickle cell anaemia with bacterial infection.
镰状细胞贫血患者对细菌感染的易感性增加。先前有报道称，在细菌感染存在时硝基蓝四氮唑（NBT）试验会出现假阴性，且体外刺激后吞噬反应存在缺陷，这提示某些镰状细胞贫血患者可能存在多形核白细胞功能障碍。在本研究中，采用未刺激的组织化学NBT技术对镰状细胞贫血患者进行检测。与未感染患者（平均9.4%）相比，感染患者组的结果（平均NBT阳性细胞42.7%）存在显著差异。白细胞总数、多形核细胞绝对数与感染并发症之间无显著相关性。这些发现表明，通过NBT试验评估，镰状细胞贫血合并细菌感染患者的多形核细胞反应正常。NBT试验可作为区分镰状细胞贫血合并细菌感染患者的一个额外参数。
