Action of oxygen free radical scavengers and inhibitors on the chemiluminescence response of monocytes and neutrophils in rheumatic fever.

Various scavengers of oxygen free radicals or inhibitors of their production were used to measure the relative amounts of oxygen free radicals generated in phagocytic cells. The agents used were iodoacetate, superoxide dismutase, sodium benzoate, catalase and mannitol. The studies were made in patients with a recurrence of rheumatic activity, chronic rheumatic heart disease or pharyngitis, and in normal controls. Monocytes and neutrophils of the subjects were stimulated with latex in the presence or absence of a scavenger/inhibitor and the per cent inhibition of the chemiluminescence response was calculated. There were 10 patients in each group. Follow-up studies were done at 15 days, 3 months and 6 months. In the patients with a recurrence of rheumatic activity, the level of oxygen free radicals generated in the initial study was so high that the scavenger/inhibitors were able to reduce the chemiluminescence only in part. The diminution in chemiluminescence increased during the follow-up period. In the patients with chronic rheumatic heart disease, the per cent inhibition of the chemiluminescence response was significantly higher in the initial study than that observed in patients with a recurrence of rheumatic activity, and it remained constant during the follow-up period. The scavenger/inhibitors were almost completely able to inhibit the generation of oxygen free radicals in patients with pharyngitis and in normal controls.