Abstract
In the phenomenon of leukergy, white blood cells agglomerate in peripheral blood slides. This agglomeration has been described in inflammatory infections of various causes. This study assesses this phenomenon in inflammatory bowel disease. A correlation was found between the severity of inflammatory bowel disease activity and the percentage of leukergy. Leukergy was found to parallel the clinical and endoscopic findings of inflammatory bowel disease. Furthermore, leukergy was found to be more accurate than white blood count and erythrocyte sedimentation rate. It is also found to accurately assess the course of the disease when clinical and other laboratory tests were masked by steroid and antibiotic administrations Leukergy is a quick, inexpensive test that can easily be performed at the patient's bedside.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Fleck L., Murczynska Z. The phenomenon of leukergy. Arch Pathol 1947; 47: 261–72.
Fleck L. Leukergy and its use in medicine and research. Harefuah 1951:35.
Kariv N, Chen B, Lang R, Weintroub S, Ravid M, Aronson M. Leukocyte aggregation (leukergy)—an aid to the rapid diagnosis of infectious states (abstr). Isr J Med Sci 1980; 16: 466.
Kadar A. The leukergy test in children—diagnostic significance in infectious disease. Thesis, Tel-Aviv University, Sackler School of Medicine, June 1983.
Chenoneth D, Cooper S, Hugli T, et al. Complement activation during cardiopulmonary bypass evidence for generation of C3a and C5a anaphylotoxins. N Engl J Med, 1981; 304: 497–503.
Gelfand J, Donelan M, Hawiger A, Burke J. Alternative complement pathway activation increases mortality in a model of burn injury in mice. J Clin Invest 1982; 70: 1170–6.
Jacob HS. The role of activated complement and granulocytes in shock states and myocardial infarction. J Lab Clin Med 1981; 98: 645–53.
Perez HD, Horn JK, Ong R, Goldstein IM. Complement (C5)-derived chemotactic activity in serum from patients with pancreatitis. J Lab Clin Med 1983; 101: 123–9.
Rinaldo JE, Rogers RM. Adult respiratory distress syndrome: changing concepts of lung injury and repair. N Engl J Med 1982; 306: 900–9.
Hammerschmidt DE, Bowers TK, Lammi-Keefe GJ, Jacob HS, Craddock RP. Granulocyte aggregometry: a sensitive technique for detection of C5a and complement activation. Blood 1980; 55: 898–902.
Abramson SB, Given WP, Edelson HS, Weissmann G. Neutrophil aggregation induced by sera from patients with active systemic lupus erythematosus. Arthritis Rheum 1983; 26: 630–6.
Fleck L. Recent investigations on leukergy. Tex Rep Biol Med 1956; 14: 424–31.
Kariv N, Medalia O, Aronson M. Leukocyte agglomeration test to reveal bacterial infections in mice. Lab Anim Sci 1983; 33: 361–3.
Westergen A. Die Senkungscreation ergehin inn. Med Kinderheilk 1924; 26: 577.
Kaplow LS, Goffinet JA. Profound neutropenia during the early phase of hemodialysis. JAMA 1968; 23: 143–7.
Tan EM, Cohen AS, Fries J, et al. Criteria for the classification of systemic lupus erythematosus (abstr). Arthritis Rheum 1982; 25 (Suppl): S3.
Ritchie DM, Boyle JA, McInnes JM, et al. Clinical studies with an articular index for the assessment of joint tenderness in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Q J Med 1968; 37: 393–406.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
About this article
Cite this article
Goldman, G., Kahn, P.J., Aharonson, M. et al. Leukergy in inflammatory bowel disease. Dis Colon Rectum 31, 854–856 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02554848
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02554848