Electrophoretic studies of serum protein patterns in new-born Indian infants.

The concentration of gamma globulin in the serum of apparently healthy adults from tropical areas is considerably higher than that of residents in temperate zones (Holmes, Stanier, Semambo and Jones, 1951; Satoskar and Lewis, 1954; Deegan, Gilles and McGregor, 1956; Kulkarni, 1957b; Edozien, 1957). In studies of plasma protein patterns in 100 Indian medical students (Satoskar and Lewis, 1954) gamma globulin and albumin levels were found to be twice as high as those among non-tropical residents. Furthermore there was no obvious correlation between past illness and the plasma proteins. Although some correlation was noticed between the dietary protein source and the level of gamma globulin, a definite cause for this rise could not be found. It would therefore be interesting to study the serum protein patterns of umbilical cord blood to see whether the newborn Indian infant also has a high level of globulin, particularly the gamma fraction, as compared with infants born in temperate zones. Studies in the U.S.A. have shown the serum gamma globulin of cord blood to be as high as, or even higher than, that of maternal blood (Longsworth, Curtis and Pembroke, 1945; Orlandini, Sass-Kortsak and Ebbs, 1955; Saito, Gittleman, Pincus and Sobel, 1956; Jencks, Smith and Durrum, 1956). But similar studies on African infants showed the serum gamma globulin of cord blood to be lower than that of the maternal blood at delivery (Stanier and Thompson, 1954). Our previous studies on plasma proteins in normal pregnant women at term showed a lower serum albumin level than that reported by foreign workers; however the serum gamma globulin in these women was much higher (Coryell, Beach, Robinson, Macy and Mack, 1950; Mack, Robinson, Wiseman, Schoeb and Macy, 1951; Brown, 1954; Purandare, Satoskar and Lewis, 1954). The average birthweight of Indian newborn infants is considered to be lower than the Western birthweight standard. Since the diet of the average Indian is qualitatively and quantitatively low in protein content, it would be of interest to find out if this is in any way related to birthweight and levels of the different protein fractions of the newborn. In the present study serum protein fractions of the newborn infants and their correlations with birthweights and with the protein pattern of maternal blood at delivery have been investigated. The effect of pre-eclampsia in the mother on the protein pattern of infants has also been studied.