Umbilical cord blood CD45(+)CD34(+) cells coexpression in preterm and full-term neonates: a pilot study.

OBJECTIVE: Human umbilical cord blood (hUCB) is rich in stem cells. The CD45(+)/CD34(+) coexpression in hUCB is a marker of hemopoietic progenitor cells. The objective of this study is to compare the coexpression of hUCB CD45(+)/CD34(+) cells in preterm (PT) and full-term (FT) neonates. METHODS: We studied the coexpression of hUCB CD45(+)/CD34(+) cells in PT and FT neonates. The study included 25 PT (29-36 weeks gestation) and 25 FT (37-41) neonates delivered at Ain Shams University, Maternity Hospital. Absolute mononuclear layer cord blood CD45(+)/CD34(+) cell count were measured by flow cytometry. Morbidity was assessed for 12 of the studied 25 PT infants, using Morbidity Assessment Index for Newborns score. RESULTS: The absolute CD45(+)/CD34(+) count did not differ between PT and FT infants: Z =  -0.485, p = 0.63. There was no correlation between absolute cell count and GA (r = 0.013, p = 0.9) for all 50 neonates. Mode of delivery did not affect the absolute count in the PT infants: Z  =  -0.6, p  = 0.57. There was no correlation between the degree of morbidity and absolute cell count in PT neonates; r = 0.13, p = 0.69. CONCLUSION: The absolute cell count is not affected by gestational age and did not relate to morbidity scores in the studied PT infants. Further, wide-scale work will be needed to study CD45(+)/CD34(+) count in hUCB in sick PT neonates.