Abstract
Leukocytes exert about 1000 times more resistance to the passage of 5 μm diameter filler pores than erythrocytes. Thus, in whole blood with a 1:1000 ratio of white to red cells, about 50 % of the flow resistance is provided by the leukocytes. The whole blood of healthy neonates contains more leukocytes (6000-20000) and more immature granulocytes than adult blood. In septicemia, up to 50% of the granulocytes may be immature. Volume and deformability of peripheral immature (band and myelocytes) and mature polymorphonuclar neutrophils (PMN) were studied in venous blood of healthy neonates, children and adults. Metamyelocytes were only found in neonatal blood. Membrane cytoplasm tongues of PMN were aspirated into 2.5 μm (diameter) micropipettes over a period of 1 min.
Compared with mature PMN, final tongue lengths of hand cells were decreased by 44 to 50% and volumes were increased by 14 to 17%. Neonatal metamyelocytes were more rigid and larger than neonatal band cells. Among mature PMN and band cells in neonates, children and adults cellular volume and deformation behavior were similar. We conclude that immature neutrophils are markedly less deformable than mature PMN and that these cells may contribute to impaired microcirculation in patients with a marked rise of immature neutrophils in peripheral Mood.
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Ruef, P., Zilow, E. & Linderkamp, O. 199 DECREASED DEFORMABILITY OF IMMATURE NEUTROPHILS MAY CONTRIBUTE TO IMPAIRED MICROCIRCULATION. Pediatr Res 36, 36 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-199407000-00199
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-199407000-00199
