title: Thrombocytopoiesis in healthy term newborns.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Thrombocytopoiesis was investigated in term newborns determining thrombopoietin (TPO), reticulated platelets (PLRET) and blood platelets (PLT) in relation to gender.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was undertaken on 72 healthy term newborns, 33 girls and 39 boys. They fitted all criteria for healthy term newborns. Blood was collected from the umbilical vein immediately after cutting the umbilical cord. The evaluation of thrombocytopoiesis was performed by the following methods: TPO-Quantikine human TPO kit, PLRET- Retic-Count kit, PLT- Advia 120 hematology System.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Concentrations of TPO and percentages of reticulated platelets were greater in the female group than in the male group. The changes were not statistically significant, perhaps as a result of the very wide range of parameters tested. The blood platelet count was higher in female newborns than in male newborns, P<0.001.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The data may indicate that thrombocytopoiesis is more active in female than in male newborns.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neonatology and Department of Clinical Laboratory Diagnostics, Medical Academy, Bialystok, Poland. awasiluk@amb.edu.pl
authors.forename: Alicja
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wasiluk
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D010976:Platelet Count; D012016:Reference Values; D012737:Sex Factors; D034061:Thrombopoiesis / Q000502:physiology*; D013926:Thrombopoietin / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D013926:Thrombopoietin