Determination of Reference Values for the Microtechnique of Phagocytosis and Intracellelar Death of Candida Albicans in a Group of Healthy Population in Bogota
Macrophages participate in late stages of inflammation phagocyting bacteria and cellular debris. The techniques for evaluation of the phagocytic capacity are laborious, require large blood samples and need excessive manipulation of the cells. The micro technique of intracellular death of Candida albicans is a simple and fast technique, which requires a very little blood sample. This technique was used in 56 samples of healthy people to determine reference values of the phagocytic index and the percentage of intracellular death, which are indicators of neutrophils´ phagocytic capacity.
The phagocitic index was 2.70 +/- 0.43 (mean +/- SD), range 2.03 - 3.92, and the percentage of intracellular death was 31.31 +/- 5.10 (mean +/- SD), range 21 - 39. There were no differences by age groups, gender and number of leucocytes or percentage of neutrophils.