[Pathophysiology, diagnosis and therapy of disorders of granulocyte function]

Abstract

Congenital disorders of polymorphonuclear leukocytes can be seen as a tool to learn more about the function of these cells. In this paper the pathophysiology of leukocyte adhesion deficiency and of chronic granulomatous disease is reported in detail, partly at the molecular level. Patients with leukocyte adhesion deficiency can be treated by bone marrow transplantation, whereas in chronic granulomatous disease the therapy is restricted to antibiotic treatment or surgical intervention. In some cases of chronic granulomatous disease an increase of polymorphonuclear leukocyte function by immunomodulators (gamma-interferon) may be a new therapeutic approach.