Comparison of the ability of eosinophils and neutrophils, and of eosinophils from patients with S. mansoni infection and normal individuals, to mediate in vitro damage to schistosomula of S. mansoni.

A reliable and reproducible method that produces separate fractions of pure eosinophils and neutrophils from normal peripheral blood was described. The interaction of eosinophils and neutrophils with antibody coated schistosomula was examined in vitro. Neutrophils were highly active in the 51Cr release assay and most formed rosettes with antibody coated red cells, but they adhered poorly to schistosomula and did not kill the organisms. Eosinophils, although they were less active in the 51Cr release assay than neutrophils and few formed rosettes, adhered strongly to schistosomula and, in the presence of antibody, were able to kill organisms. Organisms from patients with S. mansoni infection and eosinophilia were more effecient than eosinophils from normal individuals in their capacity to release 51Cr from labelled somula in the presence of antibody.