Neutrophil functions in chronic cholestasis with vitamin A and E deficiencies

Neutrophil functions of twenty children with chronic cholestasis and either normal or low plasma levels of vitamin A and/or E were investigated. Locomotion as measured by the under-agarose technique with formyl-methionylleucyl-phenylalanine or zymosan- activated serum as chemoattractants showed the following results. Random locomotion was unaffected in all patients. By contrast, locomotion induced by either of the two chemoattractants was decreased proportionally to the plasma level of vitamin E (r=0.75; p<0.01). Other neutrophil functions such as ingestion, nitroblue tetrazolium reduction and chemiluminescence were not altered in patients with vitamin E deficiency or in patients with normal plasma levels of vitamin E. Bilirubinemia and vitamin A deficiency were not related to an alteration in any neutrophil function in the children with chronic cholestasis. Following correction of the vitamin E deficiency, neutrophils chemotaxis returned normal.