[Circulating immune complexes and neutrophil function in low-birth-weight newborn infants in the early neonatal...

Peripheral blood neutrophil function and the content of circulating immune complexes in funic blood were examined in 35 premature neonates with low body weight, 27 neonates with grade I prematurity and in 24 normal full-term neonates (a control group) by days 1-2 and days 7-8 of life. The positive time-course of changes in the neutrophil capacity for completed phagocytosis and in the content of circulating immune complexes was disclosed in full-term neonates with low body weight at birth. The same parameters showed a negative time-course of changes in premature neonates.