Phagocyte defects.

Abstract

Although inherited forms of phagocyte defects affect a small proportion of the general population, their clinical course can be altered dramatically by a physician's awareness of these diseases and modifications of the approach to and treatment of affected patients. The most common syndromes are chronic granulomatous disease of childhood (CGD), the Chediak-Higashi syndrome (CHS), the hyperimmunoglobulin-E-recurrent infection (Job's) syndrome (HIE), and myeloperoxidase (MPO) deficiency. CGD patients have defects in the oxidative metabolism involved in killing catalase-positive organisms. CHS patients have giant granules defective in fusing with phagosomes and subsequent killing of ingested organisms. HIE patients have abnormal chemotaxis and elevated IgE levels and are susceptible to skin infections with Staphylococcus aureus and recurrent sinopulmonary infections. MPO-deficient patients often go undetected since they rarely have recurrent infections unless they have a concomitant disease such as diabetes mellitus. Patients with a recently described syndrome, C3bi receptor deficiency, have recurrent bacterial infections and persistent leukocytosis, and their neutrophils have abnormal adherence and phagocytosis. The absence of specific granules is a more rare entity but these patients also have recurrent infections thought to be secondary to a chemotactic defect and a minor abnormality of microbial killing exhibited by their neutrophils. This review will focus on the clinical presentation and management of these patients.