Human neonatal polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) exhibit decreased mobility, adherence, and transendothelial migration in vitro compared with adult PMNs. These deficits, in part, are due to functional and quantitative defects in neonatal Mac-1 (CD11b/CD18), whereas LFA-1 (CD11a/CD18) function is similar to that found in adults (D.C.Anderson, O.Abbassi, T.K.Kishimoto, J.M.Koenig, L.V.McIntire, and C.W.Smith, J.Immunol. 146: 3372-3379, 1991; C. W. Smith, T. K. Kishimoto, O. Abbassi, B.J.Hughes, R.Rothlein, L.V.McIntire, E.Butcher, and D.C. Anderson, J. Clin. Invest. 87: 609-618, 1991). We tested the hypothesis that the primary mechanism for the neonatal PMN CD18-dependent emigration in vivo is due to LFA-1. Neutrophils from 1-day-old rabbit pups had 32 and 60% of adult rabbit levels of CD11a and CD11b, respectively. Rabbit pups or adult rabbits received the monoclonal antibody (MAb) R7.1 (anti-CD11a) or R15.7 (anti-CD18) or the vehicle phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) before the instillation of intraperitoneal thioglycollate. Six hours later peritoneal exudate was collected. The administration of MAbs R7.1 and R15.7 in adult animals resulted in 60 and 83% inhibition of leukocyte emigration, respectively, compared with PBS-treated animals (P < 0.01). In neonatal animals, R7.1 and R15.7 inhibited leukocyte peritoneal accumulation to the same extent (50 and 60%, respectively) compared with PBS-treated animals (P < 0.01). Adult animals were also treated with the anti-CD11b MAb 198. MAb 198 decreased emigration by 25%, although this was not significant compared with PBS-treated animals. We conclude that although neonatal animals have significantly less neutrophil CD11a, the diminished levels did not contribute to a reduced ability to emigrate to the peritoneum and, like adult animals, neonatal animals primarily utilize LFA-1 for accumulation in this model. The contribution of Mac-1 to neonatal leukocyte emigration remains uncertain.