Age-related characteristics of the activity of phagocytes in the normal state and in infections

Activity of peroxidase (AP) and maintenance of lysosomal cation proteins (CP) were studied during phagocytic reaction of polymorphonuclear leukocytes of healthy persons of different age and those with acute respiratory disease and chronic tonsillitis. It is found that during acute virus and chronic bacterial infection similar changes in AP and CP dynamics are observed, which is correlated with a decrease of phagocytic digesting function.