A Model for in Vitro Testing of Drug Effects on Neutrophil Function

In recent years, there has been a great deal of interest in the effects of antimicrobial drugs on host defense mechanisms, particularly phagocytic cells. Several reviews of this area have recently been published (18,31). While the studies are interesting and provide insight into understanding the neutrophil and its functions, variations in methodology and design of experiments have sometimes resulted in conflicting data making it difficult at times to draw firm conclusions. Even more difficult is the assignment of any definite clinical relevance to the data. Generally, one is dealing with in vitro experiments that may have little to do with what is happening in vivo.