Effect of amino acids on luminol-dependent chemiluminescence generated by peripheral blood polymorphonuclear leukocytes.

Individual amino acids and amino acid mixtures caused a dose-dependent increase in chemiluminescence generated by peripheral blood polymorphonuclear leukocytes. A visual assay for opsonophagocytosis, however, failed to identify any quantitative differences between leukocytes incubated with amino acids and those incubated in amino-acid-free solutions. The results of this study suggest that the presence of amino acids may interfere with the proper interpretation of luminol-dependent chemiluminescence curves.