Background: Viral infection differs from nonviral infection/inflammation by not producing a significant acute phase response. Since inflammation can cause increased adhesiveness of peripheral white blood cells (WBC), we compared these adhesive properties in individuals with viral infection to those with nonviral infection/inflammation.
Patients and methods: The state of leukocyte adhesiveness/aggregation in the peripheral blood of patients with viral versus nonviral infection/inflammation was examined in 101 consecutive patients with acute febrile disease.
Results: A significant difference was found between the two groups; 13.6 +/- 7% for viral infection versus 22.8 +/- 8.5% for nonviral infection/inflammation (p < 0.0001). There was also a significant difference in the concentration of fibrinogen (361 +/- 109 mg/dl vs 554 +/- 172 mg/dl, p < 0.0001), and in the CD11b/CD18 cell surface expression (175 +/- 66 vs 210 +/- 100 in peripheral blood polymorphonuclear leukocytes).
Conclusion: The results of this study could explain, at least in part, the differential adhesive behavior of the WBC in the peripheral blood in the two populations.