DETERMINATION OF LYMPHOCYTE IMMUNOPHENOTYPIC VALUES FOR NORMAL FULL-TERM CORD-BLOOD

Normal reference values for flow cytometric immunophenotypic lymphocyt e markers for cord blood (CB) were determined using sufficient numbers of subjects for clinical laboratory use. Samples from 202 normal gest ations were processed by whole blood lysis and analyzed in the followi ng combinations: CD14/45, CD4/3, CD8/3, CD45RA/4, CD29/4, CD56/3, CD19 /3, CD19/10. Thirty-fire adult laboratory volunteers were analyzed as controls. When compared to adults, CB shelved increased relative perce ntages of naive T-helper cells, B cells, immature B cells, and CD8+3- cells and decreased T cells, cytotoxic T cells, activated T-helper cel ls, and large granular lymphocytes (CD56+3+). Significant differences were also found when CB samples were stratified by ses and race. These results provide clinical laboratory normal reference values for lymph ocyte markers for CB, demonstrate the need for determining separate st andard reference values for significantly different patient population s, provide the basis for future investigation of pathologic gestations and for clinical laboratory applications, and provide insight into ea rly immunologic development.