The effect of tuberculosis and neoplasia on human monocyte staphylocidal activity

Abstract Monocytes from normal subjects and patients with tuberculosis, lymphoma, or solid tumors were evaluated for their ability to kill Staphylococcus aureus organisms in an in vitro system. Monocytes from patients with tuberculosis demonstrated enhanced staphylocidal activity as compared to normal monocytes after 30- and 60-min periods of incubation. Monocytes from lymphoma patients had normal killing rates after 30 min incubation but demonstrated significantly enhanced killing after 60 min incubation. Monocytes from patients with solid tumors demonstrated essentially normal killing rates. These data suggest functional activation of human monocytes by mycobacterial infection and lymphoma similar to that described in animal models.