The chemiluminescent response of human phagocytic cells to mineral dusts

Luminol-dependent chemiluminescence (CL) was used to assess the in vitro production of reactive oxygen species by human neutrophils and monocytes on exposure to six standard respirable mineral dusts. Every dust caused CL production in both phagocytic cell types, although, for each dust, the two cells showed a different pattern of response. Light output was markedly affected by the presence of serum in the system. While the results illustrated the complexity of the interaction between mineral dusts and monocytes and neutrophils, they did not support the hypothesis that pathogenic dusts would induce the production of more reactive oxygen species than non-pathogenic dusts.