Sialic acid level in maternal and neonatal lymphocytes and sera correlated to birth order and sex of the neonate.
Sialic acid (N-acetylneuraminic acid) was determined 1 h after normal term deliveries on peripheral blood lymphocytes from 42 mother-neonate pairs and in 29 maternal and neonatal sera. Results were evaluated according to maternal parity and sex of the neonate. The cases were divided into two groups: primiparae, and secundi- and multiparae. In primiparae the sialic acid level on lymphocytes from male neonates and from their mothers was by 23-30% decreased as compared to female neonatal and maternal cells. In the higher parity group, a significantly increased sialic acid level was found on lymphocytes from male as compared to female neonates, and maternal serum sialic acid concentration, unrelated to the newborns' sex, was by 17-20% increased as compared to primiparae. The results suggest that with increasing parity higher levels of sialic acid on male neonatal cells may possibly contribute to mask fetal male-specific histocompatibility antigens. Increased sialic acid levels in maternal sera from secundi- and multiparae suggest its possible contribution to an increased serum blocking effect.
Komlos
L
L
B. Gattegno Research Institute, Hasharon Hospital, Golda Medical Center, Petah-Tiqva, Tel Aviv University Medical School, Israel.
Landmann
J
J
Notmann
J
J
Dulitzky
F
F
Kyzer
S
S
Hart
J
J
Halbrecht
I
I
Levinsky
H
H
D001722:Birth Order; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D019158:N-Acetylneuraminic Acid; D012016:Reference Values; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D012794:Sialic Acids / Q000097:blood*
D012794:Sialic Acids; D019158:N-Acetylneuraminic Acid