Hyperimmunoglobulin-E-associated recurrent infection syndrome accompanied by chemotactic inhibition of polymorphonuclear leukocytes and monocytes.

An 8-yr-old girl with a history of severe recurrent infections including perinephritic, pulmonary, and hepatic abscesses had elevated serum IgE levels. Her serum inhibited chemotaxis of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) and monocytes. Exchange blood transfusion or plasma exchange at the time of severe infection resulted in normalization of chemotactic activity of PMN shown by the skin window method. Although this effect became negative 1 wk after the treatment, the procedures improved her clinical course. The patient's serum, obtained by exchange blood transfusion, 1) inhibited normal PMN chemotaxis toward cultured supernatant of E. coli, zymosan-activated serum, and formyl methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (f . Met-Leu-Phe), a synthetic chemotactic peptide; 2) inhibited monocyte chemotaxis, 3) showed an absence of digestive activity of f . Met-Leu-Phe, 4) was heat stable at 56 degrees C for 30 min and 5) showed an absence of antigenicity of IgE in a partial purified inhibitor with a molecular weight of 30,000-40,000. The inhibitory effect seemed to be reversible.