Neutrophil functional disorder in childhood.

Neutrophil functional disorders thought to be uncommon, yet important as a cause of morbidity and mortality in infants and children. During the first years of life, when the immune system is still not completely mature, when the viral infections are frequent and antibiotic overuse can damage and alter the immune response, the inadequate nutrition followed with iron deficient anemia and malnutrition can lead the child`s organism in state of immunodeficiency. Sometimes is difficult to distinguish at the beginning weather the cause of patient suffering from frequent infections is existing of primary immunodeficiency disorder or the cause of the immunodeficiency state is just from exogenous factors. Fortunately, primary immune deficiencies are rare diseases and only 6-7% of all of them, due to the neutrophilic functional disorders. Unfortunately, many exogenous and environmental factors have influence to the immune system, and the percentage of secondary caused neutrophilic functional disorders is much higher and should be considered when children are investigated for immunodeficiency. So, when to suspect neutrophil functional disorder? The hallmarks for diseases related to the neutrophilic functional disorders are discussed in this article.

Depression of neutrophil function followed by severe infection in a child with Marasmic Kwashiorkor.

Malnutrition in childhood continues to be one of the most important risk factor for secondary immunodeficiency in the world; therefore one should think of existence of malnutrition in a child suffering of frequent infections, not only in developing country, rarely but still possible in developed country also. Undernourishment in the early childhood is a trigger for starting a vicious cycle of impaired immunity, recurrent infections, and worsening malnutrition. Taking out from that cycle is an urgent and complex process, in which in parallel the infection should be controlled and the nutritional status solved out, and then, slowly follows the restoration of the immune system. We present a patient at the age of 13 months, with marasmic kwashiorkor accompanied by severe infection manifested with sepsis. The laboratory investigations revealed severe anaemia, hypoproteinemia and impaired immunological response, first of all neutrophil dysfunction with decreased oxidative metabolic response during the phagocytosis, paralyzed first line of defense of the organism and open possibility for bacterial or fungal invasion, multiorgan failure and high risk for fatal outcome. Because malnutrition and infections had many causes, only multiple and synergistic interventions embedded in true multisectoral programs, fortunately, were effective and got positive outcome.

A comparison between haematological parameters in 'capillary' and venous blood from healthy adults.

In 40 healthy adult volunteers of both sexes blood samples were taken simultaneously from an antecubital vein in EDTA-Vacutainers and from a fingertip in EDTA-Microtainers. Haematological measurements were subsequently performed in an Ortho-ELT 800 WS analyzer. Significant differences were obtained between the two sets of samples. In accordance with current literature, the 'capillary' thrombocyte count was either identical to, or more frequently substantially lower than the corresponding venous count. On the contrary, the 'capillary' erythrocyte count and the haematocrit and haemoglobin values significantly exceeded those of venous blood, while the red cell indices MCV, MCH and MCHC were identical. The total leucocyte count was substantially elevated in 'capillary' blood compared with the corresponding venous samples. Moreover, the 'capillary' differential leucocyte counts showed elevations which directly reflected the various particles' size. Possible explanations of these findings are discussed.