Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia in a term newborn infant with a transiently depressed T lymphocyte count, primarily of cells carrying the CD4 antigen.
A term infant without infection by human immunodeficiency virus had pneumocystis pneumonia at 17 days of life. Initial counts of T lymphocytes carrying the CD4 antigen were approximately 50% of the lower limits of normal; later the counts of T lymphocytes carrying the CD3 and CD8 antigens decreased as well. By 7 weeks after resolution of the pneumonia, CD3+, CD4+ and CD8+ cell counts had returned to normal. These observations suggest that a primary transient deficiency of T cell production or maturation, especially involving CD4+ cells, may occur in otherwise normal newborn infants.
Department of Pediatrics, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio 44106.
R W
RW
Hostoffer
A
A
Litman
P G
PG
Smith
H S
HS
Jacobs
M F
MF
Tosi
D015704:CD4 Antigens; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008297:Male; D011020:Pneumonia, Pneumocystis / Q000276:immunology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology
D015704:CD4 Antigens