title: Lymphocyte subsets in Eastern Highlanders of Papua New Guinea.
abstract: Lymphocyte subsets were enumerated in Papua New Guinean children, adolescents and adults from the Eastern Highlands and comparative groups of age-matched expatriates living in the Goroka area. From the age group under 6 months until adolescence, the numbers and percentages of CD8-positive (suppressor/cytotoxic) T cells were higher in Papua New Guinean highlanders than in expatriates. In highland subjects over 35 years of age, both CD8-positive and CD4-positive (helper/inducer) T-cell numbers were lower than in younger subjects whereas in expatriates their numbers remained the same. Highlanders over the age of 35 years had fewer T cells (including CD8-positive T cells) than expatriates. Helper/suppressor ratios were lower in highlanders than in expatriates from the age group under 6 months to the 20-30 year age group; the lowest ratio was found at 10-15 years of age, when the mean was 0.95.
authors.affiliation: Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research, Goroka.
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Witt
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Alpers
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D016516:CD4-CD8 Ratio; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular / Q000502:physiology; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010219:Papua New Guinea; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000276:immunology*; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology*; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000276:immunology; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology