Low Absolute Neutrophil Counts in African Infants

Infants of African origin have a lower normal range of absolute neutrophil countsthan white infants; this fact, however, remains under appreciated by clinical researchers in the United States. During the initial stages of a clinical trial in Malawi, the authors noted an unexpectedly high number of infants with absolute neutrophil countsthat would be classifiable as neutropenic using the National Institutes of Health’s Division of AIDS toxicity tables. The authors argue that the relevant Division of AIDS table does not take into account the available evidence of low absolute neutrophil countsin African infants and that a systematic collection of data from many African settings might help establish the absolute neutrophil countcutpoints to be used for defining neutropenia in African populations.