Table 1 Comparison of the Term and Premature Neonatal Immune System
From: Neonatal intestinal dysbiosis in necrotizing enterocolitis
Term | Preterm |
|---|---|
↓ Physical barriers | ↓↓↓ Physical barriers |
↑ Effectiveness of immune cells to target pathogens | ↓ Number of monocytes and neutrophils |
↓ Overall ability to produce cytokines | |
↓ T cell activation | |
↓ Number of natural killer cells | |
↓ Bactericidal/permability-increasing protein | ↓↓ Bactericidal/permability-increasing protein |
↓ Passive Immunity (level of IgG depends on transplacental transfer and thus increases with gestation age) |