Possible role for a plasma factor in the induction and/or maintenance of the state of leukocyte adhesiveness/aggregation in the peripheral blood. A study of mothers and their newborns

Abstract

The adhesive property of white blood cells is essential for a normal immune response. We examined the state of leukocyte adhesiveness/aggregation (LAA) in the peripheral blood of 31 mothers and their newborns by means of a direct slide test and found it to differ significantly, the respective per cents of aggregated leukocytes found in the peripheral blood being 15±6.4 and 5±3.3 (mean±SD). However, the particle concentration of white blood cells in the peripheral blood did not differ significantly (14.2±4.4 and 13.6±5.6xl0⁹ T¹). By incubating a mother's plasma with her newborn's whole blood we could induce a significant (p<0.0001) increment in the state of LAA. We conclude that deficiency of a plasma factor that does not cross the placenta is responsible for the low LAA in the newborn's peripheral blood.

Key Words:

• Key-words
• leukocyte adhesiveness/aggregation
• mothers and newborns