Open AccessWhite blood cells including polymorphonuclear phagocytes contain a factor which induces gonococcal resistance to complement‐mediated serum killing
Author(s) -
Patel P.V.,
Parsons N.J.,
Andrade J.R.C.,
Nairn C.A.,
Tan E.L.,
Goldner M.,
Cole J.A.,
Smith H.
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
fems microbiology letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.899
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1574-6968
pISSN - 0378-1097
DOI - 10.1111/j.1574-6968.1988.tb02933.x
Subject(s) - buffy coat , peripheral blood mononuclear cell , microbiology and biotechnology , immunology , complement system , phagocytosis , biology , ficoll , peripheral blood , centrifugation , antibody , in vitro , biochemistry
In human peripheral blood, a factor which induces gonococcal resistance to complement‐mediated killing by fresh human serum is more concentrated in the white blood cells of buffy coat than in red blood cells. Futhermore, the resistance‐inducing factor is present in both polymorphonuclear phagocytes and mononuclear cells (monocytes and lymphocytes) separated from the buffy coat by centrifugation on Ficoll‐Hypaque gradients. These results imply that inflammatory cells mobilised from the blood to sites of infection carry a host factor which, if it is available to the gonococci, would materially increase their ability to resist a major defence mechanism and hence enhance their capacity to maintain and increase infection.