Lymphocyte subpopulations in the blood of newborn infants.

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  • 1 December 1974
    • journal article
    • Vol. 18  (4) , 469-82
Abstract
Assays of lymphocyte subpopulations and function have been applied to cells from the cord blood of twenty-four infants. The results are compared with those obtained in healthy adults. T cells, assayed by spontaneous rosette formation with sheep red blood cells (E rosettes) were present in lower proportion in cord (53%) than in adult blood (65%). There was a higher proportion of lymphocytes bearing stainable immunoglobulin in cord (32%) than in adult blood (22%). From the blood lymphocyte counts it was calculated that both T and B lymphocytes are present in greater numbers in the newborn infants' blood than in adults. Comparison of DNA synthesis showed that cord blood leucocytes had a higher spontaneous rate, but there were only minor differences in the lymphocyte mitotic response to phytohaemagglutinin (PHA). The response of cord blood lymphocytes was slightly lower to a submaximal stimulus and higher to a maximal stimulus. There was a correlation between the submaximal response and the proportion of E rosetting cells.