Abstract
Summary
Circulating serum opsonic or phagocytosis promoting activity relative to Kupffer cell function was deficient on a group comparison basis in newborn infants (1–9 days old) as compared to that manifested by serum from healthy adult controls. This early pattern of opsonin levels in the newborn was not significantly affected by sex or race, although a tendency for lower opsonin activity to be exhibited by serum from newborn males was noted. These findings suggest that hypo-opsonemia in the newborn infant may mediate altered R.E. function and increased susceptibility to systemic infection.
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