Nitroblue-tetrazolium(NGT) dye, which has been widely used in histochemical studies of various enzymes, can be reduced to water-insoluble formazan by paripheral neutrophils during phagocytosis. On the basis of this observation, Park et al. reported the first evidence of the clinical applicability of the test for the differentiation of bacterial infection from non-bac-terial diseases. Since than, several studies have been reported in pertinent literatures.
The present study was performed to determine whether the nitrohlue-tetrazolium dye test would be of diagnostic value in patients suspected of having bacterial infection.
The results of the nitroblue-tetrazolium dye test in 77 patients with bacterial infection, 6 with viral infection and 50 healthy person are as followings :
1. The mean proportion of such N.B.T.-positive neutrophils was 11.4±6.2% in healthy control group.
2. The percentage of N.B.T.-positive neutrophils was significantly increased in bacterial diseases than non-bacterial diseases.
3. The percentage of N.B.T.-positive neutrophils in the salmonellosis and viral infection was close to that of the control.
4. In cases of pulmonary tuberculesis, the parcentage of N.B.T.-positive neutrophils was significantly increased in A.F.B. positive group than A.F.B. negative group.