Although prolonged therapy is necessary to resolve these infections, complete recovery usually follows if a suitable antibiotic is chosen. All three major immunoglobulins are elevated, and IgE levels may be increased. Antibody studies are normal, and skin tests for delayed hypersensitivity are positive. Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Serratia marcescens, Escherichia coli and Aspergillus are the most common microorganisms recovered from infection sites. When a diagnosis of Chronic Granulomatous Disease is suspected in child with serious infections at an early age, confirmation of this diagnosis is by laboratory analysis.
Tests analyze the function and killing capacity of the phagocytic cells.
Other tests examine the metabolic machinery of the cell to determine the extent of oxygen metabolism and the intracellular killing capacity of phagocyte exposed to staphylococci or other bacteria. Specialized laboratories perform these tests. This is a histochemical study of oxidase activity of leukocytes during phagocytosis. It is a useful screening test. This is a measure of the amount of the chemical reactions produced.