DEFECTIVE IMMUNE INTERFERON-PRODUCTION AND NATURAL-KILLER ACTIVITY ASSOCIATED WITH POOR NEUTROPHIL MOBILITY AND DELAYED UMBILICAL-CORD SEPARATION

Abstract

Two infants with recurrent infections and a history of delay in separation of the umbilical cord (1 mo. and 17 days) had severely impaired neutrophil mobility. Very poor natural killer cell (NK) activity of blood lymphocytes against a leukemia cell line (Molt 4F) was found. Incubation of lymphocytes with lymphoblastoid interferon increased NK activity in the 1 case tested. No immune (.gamma.) interferon production was detected in Burkitt''s lymphoma Raji cell and phytohemagglutinin (PHA) stimulated cultures from the other case. Apart from an abnormal dose-response curve in thymidine uptake after PHA stimulation of blood lymphocytes, no other abnormalities were found in a range of immunological tests. Ascorbic acid improved neutrophil mobility but had no effect on NK activity. Both children subsequently died from septicemic illnesses.