Leukemoid reaction and chronic lung disease in infants with very low birth weight.
OBJECTIVE
To analyze the relationship between the leukemoid reaction and chronic lung disease in very-low-birth-weight (VLBW) infants.


METHODS
Neonates born weighing less than 1500 g without evidence of congenital anomalies and admitted to our hospital from October 1985 to December 1999 comprised our study. Leukemoid reaction was defined as a peripheral white blood cell (WBC) count of > or = 50 x 10(3)/microl. The infants who demonstrated a leukemoid reaction formed the study group, while the remainder formed the control group. The relationship between neonatal variables and WBC counts was studied.


RESULTS
Fourteen of the 486 infants demonstrated WBC counts of > or = 50 x 10(3)/microl, with an incidence of 2.9%. Univariate analysis demonstrated a significant association between a leukemoid reaction and chronic lung disease following intrauterine infection.


CONCLUSIONS
A leukemoid reaction was observed in 2.9% of VLBW infants in our neonatal intensive care unit. A significant association was demonstrated between the leukemoid reaction and chronic lung disease following intrauterine infection.
Nakamura
T
T
Center for Maternal, Fetal and Neonatal Medicine, Saitama Medical Center, Saitama Medical School, Kawagoe, Japan.
Ezaki
S
S
Takasaki
J
J
Itabashi
K
K
Ogawa
Y
Y
D002821:Chorioamnionitis / Q000150:complications*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007235:Infant, Premature, Diseases / Q000276:immunology*; D019102:Infant, Very Low Birth Weight / Q000276:immunology*; D007955:Leukemoid Reaction / Q000150:complications*; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious; D012189:Retrospective Studies