Chemiluminescence, phagocytosis, chemotaxis and killing activity of human leukocytes exposed to Clindamycin.

We measured the chemiluminescence (CL) of human leukocytes (PMNs) exposed to different concentrations of Clindamycin (1; 5; 1 mcg/ml) using a standardized luminolamplified reagent-instrument methodology (Auto Picolite 6500 Luminometer and ZAP/Picolite Kits, Packard Instruments Co. Drowners Grove, IL. USA). Cells obtained from healthy donors were also tested for chemotaxis with Boyden chambers, for phagocytosis and for killing activity against Staphylococcus aureus by the agar-medium culture plate technique. Clindamycin does not induce significant variations of the CL response in whole blood, or changes in phagocytosis and killing activity. On the contrary, concentrations of drug corresponding to therapeutically obtainable levels significantly increase light emission by isolated cells. A concentration effect was seen on leukotaxis, that was increased, but not significantly, at 1 and 5 mcg/ml and decreased (P less than 0.01) at 10 mcg/ml. CL assay is a simple, sensitive, reproducible technique to assess the PMNs functions during antibiotic therapy.