[Functional aspects of neutrophils in full-term infants]

The measure of superoxide anion (.O2-) generation was carried out in the neutrophils (PMNs) of newborns. Comparison between .O2- generation in the resting state and after stimulation with zymosan was considered. PMNs were incubated in their own plasma and in plasma from healthy adult subjects. The results demonstrate a decrease of .O2- generation (in comparison with adult PMNs) in the PMNs from newborn when they were incubated in their own plasma while the .O2- generation reached the values equal to adult's PMNs when the cells of newborns were incubated in the adult's plasma. However PMNs from some newborns demonstrated a low .O2- generation even though they were incubated in adult's plasma. The data are suggestive of a predominant, but not always exclusive, responsibility of plasma factors in the decrease .O2- generation by PMNs of full term babies.