[In vitro effect of tuftsin (L-prolyl-L-arginine) on the oxidative capacity of polymorphonuclear lymphocytes in small-for-gestational-age newborn infants].

Tuftsin has the function of activating cellular macrophages and polymorphonuclears (PMNs). This tetrapeptide is transported by the CH2 domain of the heavy chain between residues 289 and 292 of the gammaglobulin (IgG) molecule. The objective of this work is to determine the effect of synthetic tuftsin in its oxidative capacity of PMN cells of newborns of low birth weight for their gestational age having already been demonstrated that the phagocytic activity of these cells of macrophages and PMNs is diminished compared with the cells of newborns of normal birth weight according to gestational age. Results showed a stimulatory effect of the PMNs oxidative capacity with synthetic tuftsin by the increase of the nitrotetrazolium blue reduction, demonstrating that the low oxidative capacity of the cells of newborns of low birth weigh for gestational age does not correlate with an intrinsic cellular defect.