Increased oxygen radical production determined by whole blood chemiluminescence in patients with previous Yersinia arthritis.

Luminol-dependent whole blood chemiluminescence (CL) was studied in patients with previous yersinia arthritis (YA). Patients showed significantly higher CL responses compared to healthy controls regardless of HLA-B27 antigen when either N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine or opsonized zymosan particles were used a stimulus. This hyperreactivity may well play a role in the development of inflammatory injury in YA.