Spontaneous DNA synthesis of blood lymphoid cells in premature newborn infants, in older premature infants and in full-term newborn infants

✍ Scribed by Prindull, Gregor

• Publisher: Springer-Verlag
• Year: 1974
• Weight: 700 KB
• Volume: 118
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0044-2917
• DOI: 10.1007/bf00464610

✦ Synopsis

In adults, blood cells which synthesize DNA spontaneously are large, pale lymphoid phagocytes. In fetal blood, transitional cells label spontaneously in addition to the lymphoid phagocytes (Prindull et al., 1975a, b). In the present study, we have measured quantitatively by scintillation counting, spontaneous thymidine incorporation of blood cells from different groups of infants.

When compared with the conditions in the normal adult, spontaneous DNA synthesis of peripheral blood lymphoid cells is increased by a factor of 16.4 in premature newborn infants (P < 0.002), by a factor of 8.7 in full-term newbola~ infants (P < 0.01), and in older premature infants studied at the time of their calculated birth dates by a factor of 4.3 (P < 0.001).

Spontaneously labelling blood cells most likely are, at least in part, hematopoietic stem cells from the bone marrow.