Impaired bacterial killing and hydrogen peroxide production by polymorphonuclear neutrophils in end-stage renal failure

Polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) isolated from a sub-population of patients with end-stage renal failure (ESRF) who were identified because they demonstrated impaired intracellular bacterial killing, were assayed for hydrogen peroxide activity using two different techniques capable of distinguishing between total and intracellular hydrogen peroxide generation. In an attempt to elucidate the mechanism of impaired intracellular bacterial killing further, hydrogen peroxide activity was compared to PMN isolated from patients receiving continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis and a control group of healthy normal volunteers, PMN from conservatively treated ESRF patients demonstrated reduced production of intracellular hydrogen peroxide (mean 37.7 +/- 4.3 fluorescence units), compared to PMN from both ESRF patients treated with continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (mean 57.9 +/- 6.6 fluorescence units) and normal controls (mean 60.4 +/- 3.5 fluorescence units), This suggests that the probable mechanism of impaired bacterial intracellular killing by the PMN of conservatively treated ESRF patients involves the production of intracellular hydrogen peroxide.