Cyanide-insensitive respiration of phagocytes in oxygen-treated whole blood.

Cyanide-insensitive respiration of phagocytes has been assayed polarographically in less than 0.5 ml of oxygenated venous blood. Cell separation procedures are avoided by use of whole blood as assay sample. The method is simple and gives quantitative results. The values obtained faithfully reflect in vivo capacity of phagocytes. Blood from boys with chronic granulomatous disease showed no burst of oxygen consumption during phagocytosis. Blood from their mothers showed about one-third activity of normal blood, indicating their carrier status.