Deactivation of leucocyte chemotaxis in vivo. Locomotion of cells isolated from a patient with meningococcal meningitis.

This report concerns the properties of polymorphonuclear leucocytes isolated from a patient with meningococcal meningitis. No differences in phagocytic capacity and random locomotion between the patient's polymorphonuclear leucocytes and normal PMNL were found, but by using activated normal human serum as chemo-attractant it was found that PMNL isolated from the cerebrospinal fluid had lost their ability to respond chemotactically. The deactivation was found to be accompanied by surface property changes of the cells.