Abstract
Despite reports that phagocytosis in the newborn is comparable to that in adults cells the temporal aspects of this function have not been examined. We have thus compared the kinetics of phagocytosis by monocytes isolated from cord blood and from the blood of adult volunteers. Monocytes attached to glass coverslips were incubated with polystyrene spheres (1.10u diameter) for up to 120 minutes. At intervals, the cells were fixed and extracted in xylene to remove noningested particles. The number of cells containing two or more particles was counted using a phase contrast microscope. In this system, the rate of phagocytosis was considerably more indolent in newborn monocytes than in those from adults. By 50 minutes, phagocygosis had occurred in virtually all of the adult cells, while only 38% of the neonatal monocytes had engulfed particles. However, this defect was not absolute, since by 120 minutes all the newborn cells contained engulfed spheres. Levamisole, a low molecular weight compound which stimulates the function of phagocytes and T-lymphocytes from compromised hosts, had no effect on normal adult monocytes but accelerated phagocytosis of newborn cells to a rate identical with that of adult cells. These data suggest that newborn monocytes are less efficient at phagocytosis than are comparable cells from adults, a compromise which may be critical in the early phases of infection. *Supported by NIAID 5-F32-AI05395
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Schuit, K., Powell, D. & Clyde, W. 813 PHAGOCYTIC KINETIC DEFECTS OF HUMAN NEWBORN MONOCYTES CORRECTABLE WITH LEVAMISOLE. Pediatr Res 12 (Suppl 4), 499 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197804001-00818
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197804001-00818