Chemotaxis and random migration of polymorphonuclear leukocytes in ulcerative colitis examined by the agarose method.

Chemotaxis and random migration of neutrophils under agarose were compared between untreated ulcerative colitis patients (35 women and 36 men) and healthy subjects (25 women and 28 men). The ulcerative colitis patients were divided into two subgroups--those with the active (no. = 41) and those with the inactive (no. = 30) stage of the disease. High spontaneous mobility and subnormal chemotaxis (both aberrations statistically significant) were noted in the ulcerative colitis patients. Polymorphonuclear leukocyte chemotaxis was significantly lower in inactive than in active colitis. Possible causes of the difference in neutrophil chemotaxis between the two disease groups were discussed. No difference in the chemotactic activity between zymosan-stimulated plasma from controls and patients was found. The defect in the chemotaxis of neutrophils in ulcerative colitis might explain the small abscesses persisting in the mucosa of the great bowel.