[Immunologic findings in the newborn infant. I. Studies of cellular immunity]

Based on investigations of 133 healthy full-term newborns in the first 3 days of life parameters of cellular immunity are described. The lymphocyte count of 28.5 +/- 10.9% (mean +/- S.D.) or 4.45 +/- 1.99 Gpt/l respectively coincides with literature values. Estimation of T-lymphocytes (E-rosette method) yields a percentage of 67.5 +/- 10%, which is not different from adults, whereas the absolute number 2.99 +/- 1.42 Gpt/l is markedly higher. Measuring phytohemagglutinin induced lymphocyte transformation one often finds a high spontaneous activity in unstimulated controls. The transformation rate, then, is low. 14 of 129 samples had unstimulated control activities higher than with phytohemagglutinin so that stimulation indices could not be calculated. Fairly good lymphocyte transformation was found in more than a half of all newborns. There is no correlation between the absolute value of stimulation index and the phytohemagglutinin-concentration.