Effect of cytokines on the level of free radicals in the blood of patients with systemic and local staphylococcus infection.

An increased extracellular production of free radicals with bactericidal activity does not improve the efficacy of intracellular digestion of Staphylococci. The amount of intracellular oxygen reactive species generated by the neutrophils from patients with an infectious condition has been found considerably decreased as compared to healthy donors. On the other hand, the excess of secretion of free radicals into the extracellular space leads inevitably to the adaptive increase of antioxidant enzymes and, as a result, to an increase in the total antioxidant capacity of the blood plasma.