Neutrophils in Human Diseases

Abstract

HUMAN neutrophilic polymorphonuclear leukocytes (neutrophils) provide an effective host defense against bacterial and fungal infection, but they are also important in the pathogenesis of tissue damage in certain noninfectious diseases. Some important events in neutrophil function that will be discussed in this review are shown in Figure 1.Mild to moderate abnormalities of neutrophil function have been reported in many acquired and congenital diseases.1 2 3 4 5 In most of these disorders, the biochemical or morphologic basis of the defects is unknown and the relevance of the neutrophil defect to the manifestations of the disease is unclear. In contrast, persons with marked neutropenia6 or . . .