Healthy preterm newborns: Altered innate immunity and impaired monocyte function
Sara De Biasi, Anita Neroni, Milena Nasi, Domenico Lo Tartaro, Rebecca Borella, Lara Gibellini, Laura Lucaccioni, Emma Bertucci, Licia Lugli, Francesca Miselli, Luca Bedetti, Isabella Neri, Fabrizio Ferrari, Fabio Facchinetti, Alberto Berardi, Andrea Cossarizza
Abstract
Abstract Birth prior to 37 completed weeks of gestation is referred to as preterm (PT). Premature newborns are at increased risk of developing infections as neonatal immunity is a developing structure. Monocytes, which are key players after birth, activate inflammasomes. Investigations into the identification of innate immune profiles in premature compared to full‐term infants are limited. Our research includes the investigation of monocytes and NK cells, gene expression, and plasma cytokine levels to investigate any potential differences among a cohort of 68 healthy PT and full‐term infants. According to high‐dimensional flow cytometry, PT infants have higher proportions of CD56 +/− CD16 + NK cells and immature monocytes, and lower proportions of classical monocytes. Gene expression revealed lower proportions of inflammasome activation after in vitro monocyte stimulation and the quantification of plasma cytokine levels expressed higher concentrations of alarmin S100A8. Our findings suggest that PT newborns have altered innate immunity and monocyte functional impairment, and pro‐inflammatory plasmatic profile. This may explain PT infants’ increased susceptibility to infectious disease and should pave the way for novel therapeutic strategies and clinical interventions.