[37] Cellular chemiluminescence associated with disease states

Publisher Summary Cellular chemiluminescence (CL) can be defined as light produced from cells that have a chemical origin. Generally, this light is in the visible spectrum (400-600 nm). Cellular CL is produced from single cells such as neutrophils, monocytes, or macrophages (alveolar or peritoneal). These cells are phagocytic—that is, they can engulf particles. If the particles are living biological entities such as bacteria, yeast, or virus, they may be killed by the various chemical processes available to phagocytic cells. This killing of invading organisms forms a portion of the natural defense mechanism available to humans and other animal species. If this natural cellular defense mechanism is defective or is increased or decreased by disease, these changes may be detected by measuring cellular CL. Therefore, the quantitation of light from human neutrophils has been found to be useful in the detection of genetic deficiencies, and studies of inflammatory diseases, infection, degenerative diseases, and cancer. The main findings involving genetic diseases are in the diagnosis of the neutrophil abnormalities—i.e., chronic granulomatous disease, and myeloperoxidase deficiency. Studies related to cell CL in inflammatory disease include arthritis, exercise-induced asthma, and pollen-induced allergy. Infection by bacteria, virus, mycoplasma, and yeasts can be followed using CL of human neutrophils. Diabetes, renal dialysis, and cancer (including leukemias) have been subjected to important research using cellular CL.