The effect of methylmethacrylate on chemotaxis of polymorphonuclear
leukocytes was evaluated by an in vitro method that involved migration of
human leukocytes under agarose. Chemotactic factors produced during growth
of Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus aureus, and Escherichia coli
remained chemotactically active in the presence of a methylmethacrylate
concentration of 1.25 per cent, which was the highest tested. The
methylmethacrylate also did not alter the activity of the chemotactic
factor produced by zymosan activation of normal human serum. However, when
methylmethacrylate was added to normal human serum prior to zymosan
activation, a methylmethacrylate concentration of 0.312 per cent
significantly depressed the subsequent zymosan-induced chemotactic activity
and concentrations above 0.312 per cent abolished it. When
methylmethacrylate was added to the polymorphonuclear leukocyte
suspensions, there was significant depression of the migration of cells at
a concentration of 0.312 per cent, and at concentrations of 0.625 and 1.25
per cent no leukocyte migration occurred.