Abstract
Summary
Plasma obtained from six healthy individuals was capable of promoting the phagocytosis of Staphylococcus albus and gelatinized radiolabeled lipid emulsion by human blood leukocytes. Experimental plasma derived from six patients with carcinoma manifested normal ability to opsonize S. albus when compared to the control plasma. In contrast, plasma from these patients was unable to support the phagocytosis of a gelatinized RE test lipid emulsion by either rat liver slices or human leukocytes. In comparison with normal plasma, the experimental plasma manifested an 80 and 64% reduction in lipid emulsion phagocytosis by rat liver slices and human leukocytes, respectively. These results suggest that the loss of opsonizing ability previously observed in patients with carcinoma is not a general phenomena but may be restricted to gelatin–stabilized colloids.
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