The neutrophil function and infectious diseases in workers occupationally exposed to organochloride insecticides.

The function of polymorphonuclear leucocytes (PMNs) was examined in 33 workers with occupational exposure to organochloride insecticides. A deep impairment of chemotaxis, adhesion, phagocytosis and nitroblue tetrazolium-dye reduction was found. A simultaneous increase of random migration and stimulated migration was observed. Perhaps the increase of the surface migration of leucocytes can partially compensate for the decrease of chemotaxis. However, no correlation between chemotaxis and spontaneous or stimulated migration could be demonstrated. The failure of PMN incubation in autologous serum to affect leucocyte migration and the fact that chemo-attractant generated from the plasma of both workers and controls show similar activity both suggest that the damaged PMN chemotaxis is not serum but cell-dependent. The simultaneous increase of infectious disease, especially of the upper respiratory tract, was found in the group of workers chronically exposed to organochloride insecticides. This kind of infection in the examined group of workers depends mainly on the chronic exposure to insecticides and only partially on the observed impairment of leucocyte function. A possible cause for the frequency of infections in workers is discussed.