No previous study has investigated the full range of complete blood count (CBC) parameters in small-for-gestational-age (SGA) newborns. The main aim of this study was to compare CBC and peripheral smear parameters in term, healthy SGA neonates and appropriate-for-gestational-age (AGA) neonates, and to establish CBC reference values for full-term SGA newborns. One hundred thirty-two healthy, term newborns (73 SGA and 59 AGA) were included. On day 1, we obtained 109 samples and on day 7 we obtained 77 samples. A CBC and peripheral smear were analyzed for each sample collected and group data were compared. We observed higher mean values for normoblast count, hemoglobin, hematocrit, and red blood cell (RBC) count in the SGA babies than in the AGA babies on day 1. The mean corpuscular hemoglobin and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration values for the SGA babies were decreased because of the relatively high RBC count and relatively high mean corpuscular volume we observed in this group. Of the SGA newborns, 21.9% had neutropenia and 4.7% had absolute neutrophil counts lower than 1500/microl on day 1. On both day 1 and day 7, the SGA newborns had higher mean absolute metamyelocyte counts and higher mean I : T (immature : total neutrophil ratio) values than the AGA group. The SGA babies had a lower mean absolute lymphocyte count on day 7 than the AGA group. We detected thrombocytopenia in almost one-third of the 64 SGA newborns tested on day 1. In summary, our study clearly demonstrates that CBC parameters for healthy, full-term, SGA newborns are different from those of healthy, term AGA newborns. This is the first study that has documented different mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular hemoglobin, mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration, metamyelocyte counts, lymphocyte counts, and I : T in SGA babies compared with AGA babies.

Although the frequency of the 4G/4G genotype was higher in subjects in the current study than in subjects reported in the literature, in our study group we observed no influence of the PAI-1 4G/4G polymorphism on lipid and glucose metabolism.

Leptin is a hormone produced by adipocytes that helps reduce body weight by depressing appetite and increasing metabolic activity. Leptin also promotes early hematopoiesis. The main aim of this study was to compare complete blood count (CBC) parameters and peripheral blood CD34(+) cell counts in prepubertal obese and nonobese children. Relationships between leptin levels and CBC parameters and peripheral CD34(+) progenitor cell counts in the obese group were also investigated. Thirty one healthy, prepubertal, obese children and 30 nonobese, age-matched prepubertal controls were included in the study. A fasting blood sample was collected from each subject, and CBC findings, serum leptin level, and peripheral blood CD34(+) progenitor cell count were recorded. In the obese group, the mean results for body mass index (BMI), BMI standard deviation score (BMI SDS), and serum leptin level were significantly higher than the corresponding control findings. There were no significant differences between the groups with respect to CBC parameters and CD34(+) cell percentage. In both the obese and control groups, the girls' serum leptin levels were significantly higher than the boys'. In the obese group, serum leptin level was strongly correlated with BMI and with BMI SDS (Pearson correlation coefficients r=0.70, p<0.001, and r=0.59, p<0.001, respectively) in both girls and boys. None of the CBC parameters nor CD34(+) progenitor cell percentage was correlated with leptin, BMI, or BMI SDS. The results indicate that serum leptin levels in obese children are positively correlated with BMI. However, in contrast to adults, high leptin level in childhood obesity does not seem to be associated with altered CBC parameters or increased peripheral CD34(+) progenitor cell count.

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