title: Peripheral T lymphocytes and their subsets in cutaneous tuberculosis.
abstract: Fifty-four patients with cutaneous tuberculosis, consisting of 23 with lupus vulgaris, 22 with scrofuloderma, and nine with verrucosa cutis, were investigated for cell-mediated immunity, through estimation of peripheral total T lymphocytes (CD3+), CD4+ (helper/inducer), and CD8+ (cytotoxic/suppressor) lymphocytes, by immunohistochemical staining of peripheral blood smears, using specific monoclonal antibodies and the alkaline phosphatase-antialkaline phosphatase (APAAP) method. Absolute values of total T lymphocytes (CD3+), and CD4+ and CD8+ subsets, were found to be significantly raised in scrofuloderma, but the percentage values and the CD4+/CD8+ ratio remained unaltered. In tuberculosis verrucosa cutis, only the percentage of the CD8+ subset of T lymphocytes was found to be significantly lowered, and this altered the CD4+/CD8+ ratio. No significant change was observed in the peripheral blood T cells and their subpopulations in patients suffering from lupus vulgaris.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Maulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: V N
authors.initials: VN
authors.lastname: Sehgal
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Wagh
authors.forename: S N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Bhattacharya
authors.forename: V K
authors.initials: VK
authors.lastname: Sharma
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D008177:Lupus Vulgaris / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets; D014382:Tuberculosis, Cutaneous / Q000276:immunology*; D014388:Tuberculosis, Lymph Node / Q000276:immunology