[Effect of metronidazole on luminol dependent chemiluminescence of neutrophils in whole blood of patients with chlamydial infection].

In vivo effect of metronidazole on the active oxygen production by neutrophils in the peripheral blood of patients with urogenital chlamydial infection (9 females and 7 males) was studied with the use of luminol dependent chemiluminescence. Metronidazole was administered orally in a dose of 250 mg twice a day for 10 days. Blood for the specimens was collected prior to the treatment and on the next day of the treatment course completion. No effect on the spontaneous and zymozan or phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate stimulated chemiluminescence was observed, although a significant increase in the chemiluminescence indices was stated in 3 females and 1 male. It was suggested that the changes in the individual values of the neutrophil chemiluminescence after the treatment were associated with the influence of metronidazole and/or its metabolites on the blood cells and with different activity of the host enzymes participating in the drug biotransformation.