Patterns of Granulocyte Kinetics in Health, Infection and in Carcinoma

Leukokinetic studies were performed using granulocytes labeled in vitro with radioactive diisopropylfluorophosphate (DFP³²). The half-time of the granulocytes in the circulation, blood granulocyte mass and granulocyte turnover rates were determined.

In control subjects the mean half-life was 6.44 hours with a range of 5.1 to 7.7 hours. The mean blood granulocyte mass was 38 x 10⁹ cells with a range of 19.9 to 36.4 x 10⁹ cells and the granulocyte turnover rate was 4.08 x 10⁹ cells per hour with a range of 2.51 to 5.50 x 10⁹ cells per hour. There was a direct relationship between the half-life and the blood granulocyte mass in the control subjects.

In 6 subjects with infection the blood granulocyte mass was uniformly increased. The mean half-life and mean granulocyte turnover rate were both increased above the normal range.

In 11 subjects with carcinoma several different leukokinetic patterns were found. The blood granulocyte mass was raised in 5 patients, but in only one of these was the granulocyte turnover rate increased above the normal range. In 6 subjects the blood granulocyte mass was within the normal range and deviations from the mean control value were accompanied by proportionate changes in the granulocyte turnover rate in all but 1 patient.

No relation was found between the half-life and the blood granulocyte mass in subjects with infection and/or carcinoma. The possibility that this was due to the establishment of a new steady state of blood granulocyte mass at altered levels of granulocyte production, or that steady state conditions did not exist has been considered. However the data are interpreted no evidence for suppressed granulopoiesis was found in subjects with advanced malignant disease.