Association between serum macrophage colony-stimulating factor levels and monocyte and thrombocyte counts in healthy, hypoxic, and septic term neonates.
OBJECTIVE
Macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF) is a hematopoietic growth factor that mainly stimulates the growth, differentiation, and proliferation of cells of the monocyte-macrophage lineage. There are only limited numbers of studies about M-CSF levels in neonates, but high levels of serum M-CSF have been reported in septic and some thrombocytopenic adult patients. In this study, we investigated the serum M-CSF levels in healthy, septic, and hypoxic term neonates on the first day of life and examined the relationship of serum M-CSF levels and circulating monocyte and thrombocyte counts in these newborn infants.


METHODS
Three groups were defined in this prospective study: group 1, healthy neonates with no risk factors (n = 40); group 2, neonates who had severe hypoxia (n = 20); and group 3, neonates who fulfilled the criteria for early-onset sepsis (n = 18). Blood samples were collected for complete blood cell count and serum M-CSF levels by peripheral venipuncture from each infant in the first 24 hours after birth before any medical therapy.


RESULTS
The gestational ages and birth weights did not differ significantly between the groups. Serum M-CSF levels of the septic neonates were significantly higher than of both healthy and hypoxic neonates, but did not differ significantly between the healthy and hypoxic neonates. There was no significant correlation between serum M-CSF levels and circulating monocyte counts, but there was a significant inverse correlation between serum M-CSF levels and thrombocyte counts. When this correlation was analyzed according to groups, we determined that this inverse correlation between M-CSF levels and thrombocyte counts was especially significant in the septic neonate group, but not significant in the healthy and hypoxic neonate groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Serum M-CSF levels are significantly higher in neonates with sepsis. High serum M-CSF levels may have a possible role in the pathogenesis of thrombocytopenia in neonates with sepsis.
Oren
H
H
Departments of Pediatrics and Microbiology, Dokuz Eylül University Faculty of Medicine, Izmir, Turkey. hale.oren@deu.edu.tr
Duman
N
N
Abacioglu
H
H
Ozkan
H
H
Irken
G
G
D001238:Asphyxia Neonatorum / Q000097:blood; D001724:Birth Weight; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000166:cytology*; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000097:blood*; D007231:Infant, Newborn / Q000097:blood*; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D016173:Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000097:blood*; D009000:Monocytes / Q000166:cytology*; D010976:Platelet Count; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D018805:Sepsis / Q000097:blood*; D013921:Thrombocytopenia / Q000097:blood
D016173:Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor