Objective and aims. Neonatal encephalopathy (NE) is the leading cause of neurodevelopmental delay, epilepsy and cerebral palsy with a prevalence of 1- 3 per 1000 live births. Epidemiological and experimental evidence implicate intrauterine infection and inflammation, involving for neutrophils and monocytes, in brain white matter injury and subsequent cerebral palsy. Innate T lymphocytes are central to the initiation of inflammation and immunity. We compared the numbers and phenotypes of circulating CD4+, CD8+ and CD4-CD8- T cells, γδ T cells (Vδ1, Vδ2 and Vδ3 subsets), invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells and mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells in 16 neonates with NE and 14 age-matched controls and in 19 school-age children with NE and 23 healthy age-matched control subjects. Methods. Whole blood was stained with monoclonal antibodies specific for lymphocyte surface markers and analysed by flow cytometry.
Results. The frequencies of Vδ2 T cells were significantly higher in the neonates with NE compared to controls, (P=0.04). The frequencies of B cells were also higher in NE patients in both groups (Pv=0.02 in neonatal NE and Pv=0.03 in school-age children). CD8 cells were expanded in school age NE Pv=0.04).
Conclusion. These data provide the first evidence that innate and conventional lymphocytes may contribute to NE.

0061 - INCREASED INNATE T CELLS IN INFANTS AND SCHOOL-AGE CHILDREN WITH NEONATAL ENCEPHALOPATHY