Abstract
Since newborns often do not respond to infection with fever, their white cells may not be capable of producing pyrogens. We investigated this possibility in leukocytes obtained from 23 and 26 day gestation fetal rabbits and term (31-33 days gestation), 2 day old, 4 day old, and adult rabbits. Their leukocytes were incubated with E. coli endotoxin and the resultant supernatants, possibly containing pyrogen, were injected into adult rabbits (recipients) whose rectal temperatures were being monitored. Blood samples were drawn from the recipients before and 2 1/2 hours after the injection for the determination of total neutrophil counts. The recipients developed fever following supernatant injections of leukocyte preparations from some fetal, term, and 2 day old rabbits, and all 4 day old and adult rabbits. When there was no febrile response, there was nevertheless a 2 to 4 fold increase in the total neutrophil count. Both the PMN and febrile responses were suppressed by administering pregnant adult plasma to the recipient.
The apparent impaired pyrogen production by leukocytes from younger animals may explain their failure to develop fever with infection. While generation of insufficient or incomplete pyrogens are possible mechanisms, the transplacental transfer of a maternally produced inhibitor appears more likely.
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Chance, K., Miller, M., Goetzman, B. et al. IMPAIRED PYROGEN PRODUCTION BY FETAL AND NEWBORN RABBIT LEUKOCYTES. Pediatr Res 18 (Suppl 4), 271 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198404001-01067
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198404001-01067