Opsonic activity of ascitic fluids by a chemiluminescent method

✍ Scribed by Huu, T. R. Pham ;Bendahou, M. ;Sourbier, P. ;Mal, F. ;Beaugrand, M. ;Hakim, J.

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1989
• Weight: 221 KB
• Volume: 3
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0884-3996
• DOI: 10.1002/bio.1170030211

✦ Synopsis

Cirrhotic ascites are highly susceptible t o spontaneous bacterial infection, whereas carcinogenic ascites are seldom infected. This difference may be explained by differences in their chemotactic, bactericidal and/or opsomic activities. We measured the chemotactic and opsonic activity of ascitic fluids from 35 alcoholic cirrhotic ascites and of 12 peritoneal carcinogenic ascites. Chemotactic activity was measured by the under-agarose technique and opsonic activity by a luminol-enhanced method. Ascitic fluids from alcoholic cirrhosis had low chemotactic (62 k 24.5% that of N-formylated peptide) and opsonic (67 k 50% of normal serum) activities on normal human neutrophils. In contrast, ascitic fluids from peritoneal carcinoma were found t o possess high opsonic activity (114 k 49% of normal serum) and chemotactic activity similar t o that of N-formylated peptide. During a 3-month follow-up, 11 spontaneous bacterial infections were observed among the first group against none in the carcinogenic group.