Abstract
Summary: Newborn dogs were inoculated intratracheally with 0.5–1.0 x 108 Staphylococcus aureus/g body weight. Neutropenia (490 ± 280 neutrophils/mm3 versus 8,390 ± 490 control, ± S.E., P< 0.001), and depletion of the marrow neutrophil storage pool (3 ± 1% versus 27 ± 2% storage neutrophils P < 0.001) occurred 5–6 h following the inoculation. All animals died at 6–10 h. Additional inoculated pups were selected at random to receive transfusions of either granulocytes, plasma or red blood cells. Granulocyte transfusions (3x109 neutrophils/kg) improved survival (P < 0.005), but plasma and red blood cells did not.
Speculation: Previous reports have shown that certain neonates with bacterial sepsis utilize neutrophils more rapidly than they are replaced by the marrow mitotic neutrophil pool. The quantitative neutrophil deficiency thus produced, results in blood neutropenia, reduced neutrophil availability to affected tissues and high mortality. In this study, neonatal dogs were infected experimentally and found to develop neutropenia, depletion of neutrophil reserves, and death. Granulocyte transfusions improved the survival of these animals while plasma or packed red blood cell transfusions did not. Thus, granulocyte transfusion may present a useful therapeutic modality in those septic neonates who are found to have neutropenia and a depleted neutrophil supply.
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Christensen, R., Bradley, P., Priebat, D. et al. Granulocyte Transfusion in Septic Canine Neonates. Pediatr Res 16 (Suppl 1), 57–59 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198201001-00011
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198201001-00011