Influenza: response of T-cell lymphopenia to thymosin.
Eighteen volunteers in tow study groups were inoculated with influenza A (H3N2) and their peripheral blood T, B and null cells enumerated at subsequent intervals. Infection with wild-type virus or with a live, attenuated virus vaccine markedly reduced the proportion and absolute number of T-cell rosettes 24 hours after inoculation. T-Cell depression preceded the onset of clinical illness in symptomatic subjects, continued during illness, and returned to normal with recovery. T-cell lymphopenia was most pronounced in volunteers infected with wild-type virus and was accompanied by an increase in null cells. Lymphocytes from six wild-virus recipients with T-cell leukopenia were incubated in vitro with a calfthymus extract (thymosin), significantly increasing the percentage of T rosettes in all six subjects (P less than 0.0001). These data indicate that influenza is accompanied by pronounced quantitative and functional changes in T cells.
D000328:Adult; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007104:Immune Adherence Reaction; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008297:Male; D009975:Orthomyxoviridae / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D013947:Thymosin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013949:Thymus Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*
D013949:Thymus Extracts; D013947:Thymosin