A study of interferon-gamma and interleukin-2 production in premature neonates and neonates with intrauterine growth retardation.

Mononuclear cells from aborted fetuses, preterm infants, intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) fetuses, and mature infants were stimulated with OK432 and PHA to study their effect on the production of interferon gamma (IFN-gamma) and interleukin-2 (IL-2), respectively. IFN-gamma production was reduced in the mature delivery group, while its production in preterm delivery and IUGR groups was markedly reduced compared to those in adults and the mature delivery group. Reduced IFN-gamma production in preterm delivery and IUGR groups was attributable neither to a decrease in T-cells nor to enhanced sensitivity of T-cells to prostaglandins. Unlike IFN-gamma production, IL-2 production in preterm delivery groups was higher than that in adults; its production in the IUGR group was comparable to that in adults. In addition, both IFN-gamma and IL-2 production in premature delivery cases was enhanced when these cases were exposed to the stress of infection.