[In-vivo activation of the 4th component of the complement system (C4) in premature and term infants with generalized bacterial infections].

The concentrations of the complement components C3 and C4 and their activation products C3dg and C4d were determined in EDTA-stabilized serum of 25 premature and term infants. EDTA plasma and EDTA serum obtained from 30 normal blood donors were used as controls. According to clinical, laboratory and/or microbiological findings, six of the 25 children had infections. The mean scatter range of the C3 and C4 values was from 30% (in the 30th week of pregnancy) to 80% (in term infants) of the normal value for adults. In all the children, irrespective of gestational age, the C3dg concentrations were of the same order of magnitude as in healthy adults. As regards the C3, C4, and C3dg values, there was no difference between the newborns with and without infections. The C4d values of the newborns without infections, on the other hand, (range 0.1-1.4 mg/dl, mean 0.8 mg/dl, n = 19) were significantly lower than those of the newborns with infections (range 1.3-2.4 mg/dl, mean 1.95 mg/dl, n = 6). Observation of the course and comparison with CrP showed that elevated C4d values may occur earlier. In the authors' view, these findings indicate that in bacterial infections of premature and term infants the fourth complement component is activated, while the extent to which the third complement component is involved in the activation process is not measurable. Further studies are needed to establish whether early diagnosis of neonatal sepsis can be improved by determining C4d.