Skin Window Studies of the Acute Inflammatory Responses of Neutropenic Patients

The acute inflammatory responses ofthree cyclic neutropenic and 15 chronicneutropenic patients were studied withthe Rebuck skin window technique.The neutrophil responses at 3 and 5 hrafter initiation of the inflammation wereroughly proportional to the blood neutrophil counts. Cyclic neutropenics intheir neutropenic phase and severechronic neutropenics both showed normal mononuclear cell responses. Theseobservations indicate that neutrophilaccumulation at an inflammatory site isnot necessary to initiate the mononuclearcell response as previously postulated.It is further suggested that in these patients with decreased neutrophils butnormal monocyte counts the monocytesplay a vital role in preventing seriousinfections.

Submitted on March 22, 1971 Accepted on April 5, 1971