Studies on migration of monocytes and macrophages in patients with respiratory diseases Part I. Studies on monocyte chemotaxis in patients with respiratory diseases

Monocyte chemotaxis to zymosan-activated serum was observed in 51 subjects including 31 patients with bronchial asthma, 7 patients with other respiratory diseases, and 13 normal adults as controls, using an agarose plate method. The results were as follows: 1) Monocyte chemotaxis in normal subjects showed no significant difference between females and males or between smokers and nonsmokers. 2) No significant difference was observed in monocyte chemotaxis between normal subjects and patients with bronchial asthma. 3) Monocyte chemotaxis was significantly increased after asthma attacks, although middle dose of glucocorticoid hormone were administered, compared with the non-attack stage and with during an attack. 4) Monocyte chemotaxis was not affected by serum IgE levels, although random migration of monocyte was significantly decreased in asthma patients who had serum IgE more than 500 IU/ml. 5) No significant difference was present in monocyte chemotaxis between two asthma groups defined by age of onset(