Role of myeloperoxidase and bacterial metabolism in chemiluminescence of granulocytes from patients with chronic granulomatous disease.

Phagocytosis of catalase-positive microbes by normal polymorphonuclear neutrophils results in increased metabolism as required for microbicidal action. Chemiluminescence is a product of the associated oxygenation reactions. Neutrophils from patients with chronic granulomatous disease are capable of phagocytizing catalase-positive microbes, but there is no associated respiratory burst, microbicidal action is greatly decreased, and chemiluminescence is not detected. However, these defective neutrophils can kill catalase-negative, H2O2-generating bacteria. In the present study, chemiluminescence by neutrophils from patients with chronic granulomatous disease after phagocytosis of H2O2-generating streptococci was detected. Acid extracts of myeloperoxidase from either control or patient neutrophils also yielded chemiluminescence in the presence of streptococci, but not in the presence of catalase-positive microbes.