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The Effect of Adrenocorticotropic Hormone (ACTH) on the Circulating Eosinophils in Infants
Author(s) -
BERGSTRAND C. G.,
HELLSTRÖM B.,
JONSSON B.
Publication year - 1952
Publication title -
acta pædiatrica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.772
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1651-2227
pISSN - 0803-5253
DOI - 10.1111/j.1651-2227.1952.tb17048.x
Subject(s) - medicine , cortisone , adrenocorticotropic hormone , eosinophil , full term , endocrinology , hormone , asthma , biology , pregnancy , genetics
Summary 1. The spontaneous change in the number of circulating eosinophils from 8 to 12 o'clock was investigated in full‐term and premature infants 0–7 days old and in full‐term infants 30–120 daye old. This change is sometimes considerable. — 2. The change in the number of eosinophil leukocytes from 8 to 12 o'clock after the injection of small doses of ACTH ( 1 / 3 and 2 / 3 mg per kilogram bodyweight) was investigated in the same groups of children. — 3. When the mean values of the change expressed in per cent of the number of eosinophils at 8 o'clock are considered, a decrease after administration of ACTH is found in all groups. A statistical analysis shows that no significant difference in the degree of this decrease exists between premature and full‐term newborns (0–7 days old). Nor is it possible to find such a difference between full term, 0–7 days old infants and infants 30–120 days old. — 4. The degree of response in the premature could not be correlated to weight or age of the infant. — 5. Cortisone had no significant effect on the number of eosinophils, when tested in the same way as ACTH. — 6. The results are discussed and it is pointed out that, if it is assumed that the eosinophil response to ACTH is a test of adreno‐cortical function, the data collected in this investigation are difficult to coordinate with the hypothesis, that there exists in the newborn a physiological transitory adrenal insufficiency.