[Phagocytosis and lysis of Candida albicans and Candida pseudotropicalis by polymorphonuclear neutrophils of Hansen's disease patients].

The phagocytosis and lysis of Candida albicans and Candida pseudotropicalis by human neutrophils were examined in 43 hanseniasis patients (19 quiescent virchowians, 12 reactional virchowians and 12 tuberculoid patients) and 15 healthy subjects. The purpose of this study was to determine whether neutrophils from hanseniasis patients were altered in their enzyme systems myeloperoxidase-dependent (tested by lysin of Candida albicans) and myeloperoxidase-independent (tested by lysin of Candida pseudotropicalis). The results indicate that polymorphonuclear neutrophils of hanseniasis patients had a similar candidacidal activity that human normal neutrophils (p greater than 0.2) in their myeloperoxidase-dependent and myeloperoxidase-independent systems. The enzymatic system activity is also similar in all clinical forms of hanseniasis (p greater than 0.3).