Chemiluminescence of whole blood. 1. A simple and rapid method for the estimation of phagocytic function of granulocytes and opsonic activity in whole blood.

Luminol-dependent chemiluminescence of whole blood (whole blood CL) was developed to estimate the phagocytic function of granulocytes and the serum opsonic activity simultaneously. Whole blood (0.1 ml) was examined directly and results were obtained within 20 minutes. Phagocytic function of granulocytes can be estimated from the peak CL of whole blood and the number of granulocytes in a specimen, and the opsonic activity from the amount of time the peak CL is shown after the addition of nonopsonized CL inducer. Thus this method, using several types of CL inducer, offers much information concerning the functions of the phagocytic system in whole blood.