Colony-stimulating factor 1 in the human response to neonatal listeriosis.

Immunity to Listeria monocytogenes, an important pathogen in human neonatal sepsis, is mediated by mononuclear phagocytes, which are regulated by the hematopoietic growth factor colony-stimulating factor 1. Neonates with listeriosis had higher circulating colony-stimulating factor 1 levels and subsequent monocyte counts than those of both noninfected newborns and newborns infected with nonlisterial organisms.