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Mitogen-induced multiplication of lymphocytes from newborn infants
Insights
Newborn infants exhibit robust lymphocyte responses to common mitogens, indicating functional cellular immunity. Factors like prematurity or maternal steroid use did not significantly impair these early immune responses.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Neonatal immunology
- Cellular immunity
Background:
- Assessing the development of cellular immunity in newborns is crucial for understanding neonatal health.
- Early life immune responses can be influenced by various factors including gestational age and maternal health.
- Lymphocyte proliferation assays are standard methods for evaluating immune cell function.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the functional capacity of lymphocyte responses in newborn infants shortly after birth.
- To determine the impact of prematurity, sex, birth weight, and maternal corticosteroid use on neonatal lymphocyte responses.
- To assess the correlation between serum IgM concentrations and lymphocyte reactivity in neonates.
Main Methods:
- Lymphocyte proliferation assays were performed on blood samples from newborn infants using phytohemagglutinin (PHA), concanavalin A (ConA), and pokeweed mitogen (PWM).
- Infants were grouped based on gestational age, sex, birth weight (small for gestational age vs. appropriate weight), and maternal corticosteroid exposure.
- Serum IgM concentrations were measured and correlated with lymphocyte responses.
Main Results:
- Marked lymphocyte responses to PHA, ConA, and PWM were observed within the first week of life.
- Prematurity (up to 30 weeks gestational age), sex, and birth weight status did not significantly affect lymphocyte responses.
- Newborns with high serum IgM showed reduced responses to ConA, potentially due to ConA's effect on B-lymphocytes.
- Infants exposed to maternal corticosteroids had slightly lower mean responses, but these differences were not statistically significant.
Conclusions:
- Newborn infants possess functioning cellular immune mechanisms, evidenced by significant lymphocyte responses to mitogens.
- Immune cell function in neonates appears robust and relatively unaffected by common factors like moderate prematurity or maternal steroid exposure.
- The findings support the concept of a competent neonatal immune system at birth, with potential modulations by specific factors like high IgM levels.
Abstract:
Marked lymphocyte responses to PHA, ConA and PWM were demonstrated in the first week of life. Prematurity up to 30 weeks gestational age did not influence the results. There were only small variations in the responses from day to day, no sex differences, and no differences between infants who were small for gestational age of appropriate weight. Newborn infants with high serum IgM-concentrations had reduced lymphocyte responses to ConA, possibly through the influence of ConA on B-lymphocytes. Infants of mothers who had received corticosteroids prior to delivery had lower mean responses to all 3 mitogens, but the differences between the steroid- and comparable non-steroid groups were not significant. The results suggest that newborn infants have functioning cellular immune mechanisms.