title: Functional activity of neutrophilic polymorphonuclear leukocytes in the first five days postpartum.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the chemotactic activity and phagocytic response of neutrophilic polymorphonuclear leukocytes among women in the first five days postpartum.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective, cross-sectional clinical-laboratory study was conducted. Data of 31 postpartum women during the first five days after vaginal delivery were compared with those of 24 healthy non-pregnant non-postpartum women matched for age. The inclusion criteria were postpartum, clinically and obstetrically healthy women; vaginal delivery, singleton pregnancy carried to term; non-hypertensive, hyperglycemic, allergic, malnourished or with autoimmune or neoplastic diseases; not having received vaccines or blood products in the last three months. The Control Group was chosen according to the same inclusion criteria but involving non-pregnant non-postpartum women. The chemotactic activity of neutrophilic polymorphonuclear leukocytes was assessed by determining the distance from directed migration to bacterial lipopolysaccharide, in three Boyden chamber assays. The phagocytic response was identified by assessing the Zymosan particles' ingestion in three assays carried out in Leighton tubes. The Student's t-test was used in the statistical analysis, adopting a 5% level of significance.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The chemotactic activity of neutrophilic polymorphonuclear leukocytes from postpartum women in the presence of homologous (73.2 ± 6.9) and autologous (78.6 ± 13.9) sera showed a significant increase compared to the values observed in the Control Group (64.1 ± 4.1 and 66.6 ± 5.4). Both chemotactic response and phagocytosis ingestion phase of neutrophilic polymorphonuclear leukocytes were significantly increased (p < 0.05) in postpartum women compared to healthy non-pregnant and non-postpartum women.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There was an increase in the chemotactic activity and phagocytic response of neutrophilic polymorphonuclear leukocytes during the first five days after vaginal delivery in women.
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, Santa Casa de Misericórdia de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maria Helena Setsuko
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Morita
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, Santa Casa de Misericórdia de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Mônica López
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Vázquez
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, Santa Casa de Misericórdia de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Lúcia Mitsuko
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Yamano
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Santa Casa de Misericórdia de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Jorge da Silva
authors.initials: Jda S
authors.lastname: Kawano
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Immunology Discipline, Pathological Sciences Department, Santa Casa de Misericórdia de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Tainá
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mosca
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Immunology Discipline, Pathological Sciences Department, Santa Casa de Misericórdia de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Wilma Carvalho Neves
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Forte
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002634:Chemotaxis, Leukocyte; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000502:physiology*; D010587:Phagocytosis; D049590:Postpartum Period / Q000097:blood*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult