Defective production of reactive oxygen intermediates (ROI) in a patient with recurrent amebic liver abscess.

Previously, we reported the case of a man in the fourth decade of life afflicted with three independent episodes of amebic liver abscesses over a period of 4 years. Previous evidence has indicated that the cellular immune response is involved in protection against recurrent invasive amebic infection, and macrophage-mediated effector mechanisms appear important for host resistance to Entamoeba histolytica infection. The aim of the present work was to investigate locomotor activity and oxidative burst function of peripheral mononuclear cells of this individual after healing of the third amebic liver abscess.