A micromethod for measuring neutrophil candidacidal activity in neonates.

We developed a micromethod, requiring but a few drops of blood, for measuring the ability of neutrophils to kill ingested Candida albicans. The neutrophils of 10 normal adults killed 26.2 +/- 9.5% of ingested C. albicans in 2.5 hr in a standard fungicidal assay, and 21.4 +/- 6.5% in our new micromodification. Neutrophils from 14 full term, healthy 30- to 40-hr-old infants, studied with the micromethod, killed 23.2 +/- 6.0% of ingested C. albicans. We conclude that the neutrophils of normal neonates are competent in this sphere of antimicrobial activity.