Lack of prostaglandin E2-mediated monocyte suppressive activity in newborn and mothers.

An excess of adult blood adherent cells (monocytes) inhibits mitogen, antigen and allogeneic cell-induced lymphocyte proliferations. This inhibition is dependent on the number of the adherent monocytes in the cultures and is substantially reduced (by 60%) by indomethacin or anti-PGE2 antiserum. Newborn monocytes exert only a weak inhibitory effect and produce about eight times less PGE2 than adult monocytes. The production of PGE2 and the suppression can be induced by incubating newborn monocytes with mixed leucocyte culture supernatants. Both monocytes from mothers at the time of delivery and from newborn infants, usually exert a poor suppressive activity related to a low production of PGE2. We strongly suggest that the expression of the PGE2-mediated suppression by monocytes is under the control of activated short-lived suppressor lymphocytes.