title: Response of leukocytes and nucleated red blood cells in very low-birth weight preterm infants after exposure to intrauterine inflammation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To test the hypothesis if very immature preterm infants exposed to chorioamnionitis would exhibit increased numbers of leukocytes, neutrophils, and nucleated red blood cells (NRBC) in peripheral blood.
  
  
  METHODS
  Preterm infants with birth weight <1500 g were prospectively evaluated. Blood cells were counted within the first hour of life in infants exposed to histological chorioamnionitis and controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Birth weight, gestational age, and sex did not differ between the groups (n = 71). Seventeen infants who were exposed to chorioamnionitis had significantly higher counts of leukocytes, neutrophils, and immature neutrophils after birth. However, there was no difference in the number of circulating NRBCs between both groups. In contrast, there was a tendency towards an increased NRBC count in the control group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Preterm infants exposed to chorioamnionitis elicited a strong inflammatory response as reflected by increased numbers of leukocytes and neutrophils. However, chorioamnionitis did not induce an increase in numbers of NRBC.
authors.affiliation: University Children's Hospital, University of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany. wirbelauer_j@klinik.uni-wuerzburg.de
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wirbelauer
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: Christian P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Speer
mesh_terms: D001772:Blood Cell Count; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002821:Chorioamnionitis / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D004900:Erythroblasts / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D005317:Fetal Growth Retardation / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D019102:Infant, Very Low Birth Weight / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D007249:Inflammation / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D014591:Uterine Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology