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Percentiles of Lymphocyte Subsets in Preterm Infants According to Gestational Age Compared to Children and

S Huenecke1, E Fryns2, B Wittekindt2

  • 1Clinic for Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, University Hospital, Frankfurt, Germany . sabine.huenecke@kgu.de.

Scandinavian Journal of Immunology
|August 23, 2016
PubMed

Insights

Preterm infants have immature immune systems, increasing infection risk. This study establishes lymphocyte subset references for preterm infants, aiding in understanding their immune development and potential disorders.

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Neonatology
  • Pediatrics

Background:

  • Preterm newborns exhibit heightened susceptibility to infections due to immature immune systems.
  • Understanding immune system development in preterm infants is crucial for managing their health.
  • Early immune cell profiles can indicate potential immunological challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To establish reference ranges for lymphocyte subsets in early preterm infants.
  • To compare immune cell maturation in preterm infants during hospitalization with healthy term-born individuals.
  • To provide data for assessing the immunological capability of preterm infants.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective observational study involving 40 preterm infants (gestational age 26-30 weeks) and 10 term neonates.
  • Peripheral blood samples analyzed using 10-colour flow cytometry for immune cell subsets.
  • Development of a percentile model based on preterm infant age for lymphocyte, B cell, T cell, NK cell, T8, and T4 cell counts.

Main Results:

  • Established median cell counts for T-, B-, and NK cells post-birth.
  • Identified significant differences in absolute B cell counts and regulatory T cell frequencies, particularly in the earliest preterm infants (GA 26).
  • Preterm infants approached the 5th to 50th percentile of lymphocyte counts by hospital discharge compared to healthy children.

Conclusions:

  • This study provides the first reference percentiles for lymphocyte subsets in preterm infants.
  • The data supports the interpretation of immunological status in preterm infants, aiding in the identification of immune disorders.
  • These findings are valuable for clinical management and further research into preterm infant immunity.

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