Neutrophil function was studied in prematures, mature newborns and school children.In premature infants, chemotaxis and killing of neutrophils were decreased, although superoxide production of neutrophils was normal. In healthy full-term infants, only chemotaxis was abnormal.The ability of neutrophil phagocytosis was within normal limits both in premature and mature newborns. neutrophil; chemotaxis; phagocytosis; killing; newborn Many workers (Stiehm and Fudenberg 1966;Miller 1971) have drawn attention to immaturity of specific and nonspecific immune mechanisms in early childhood. However, the study of neonatal neutrophil function in every stage including metabolic activity for the same material has never been reported. Authors divided the neutrophil function to three stages; chemotaxis, phagocytosis and killing. As for phagocytosis, a phagocytic test and a bioassay of tuftsin (phagocytosis stimulating peptide) were done. To clarify the metabolic activity of neonatal neutrophil, superoxide production was also measured besides the nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT) reduction test. MATERIALS AND METHODSCord blood was obtained from 20 premature infants (30-36 weeks of gestaton, 1,650-2,250 g birth weight) and 20 term infants (38-40 weeks of gestation, 2,600-3,950 g birth weight).All of the neonates were healthy. No antibiotics nor medications other than anesthesia had been administered prior to delivery. The venous blood of 20 healthy school children of both sexes aged between 6 and 12 years was obtained by venipuncture. Heparinized blood samples were processed within 3 hr after collection.Skin window response was done by the method of Rebuck and Crowley (1955) as modified by Eitzman and Smith (1959). Premature and mature infants between 10 to 24 hr after birth and school children who had no evidence of a skin rash or infection were studied. The skin was cleaned with alcohol, then the superficial epidermis was scraped with a sterile scalpel blade. A sterile thin cover glass was placed over the abraded surface. The cellular exudate on the surface of the cover slip was stained with May and Giemsa stains, and differential cell counts were made of at least 500 cells.Chemotactic assay was done by using Wilkinson's modification (1974) of the Boyden technique.The attractant used was cultured filtrate of E. coli. Random migration was assessed in the absence of a concentration gradient. 20% serum was added to both the upper

[Summary] Granulocyte functions were studied in a case of Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome. In the agarose plate, granulocytes of this patient were shown to have moderately decreased responses in chemotaxis induced by N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (FMLP) and zymosanactivated human serum (ZAS), whereas they were shown to have a normal capacity of random migration. Phagocytosis and superoxide production by neutrophils were within normal limits.Chemotaxis of neutrophils in this patient was improved by transfer factor therapy. Clinical improvement of patients with Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome treated by transfer factor may be due to recovery of granulocyte functions.

Abstract]Twenty-two children underwent splenectomy for congenital spherocytosis or chronic thrombocytopenia. The splenectomized patients have been recognized to be susceptible to severe infections. The patients were studied immunologically one week before operation, three times during the first postoperative month, two months, one and two years later.