title: The proportion of suppressor-inducer T-lymphocytes is reduced in recurrent aphthous stomatitis.
abstract: A flow cytometric analysis of peripheral blood lymphocytes was undertaken in recurrent aphthous stomatitis patients. The project aimed at detecting differences within lymphocyte subsets using type-specific monoclonal antibodies. Peripheral blood samples were taken from RAS patients in both active and remission phases of the disease and from a group of healthy control subjects. There were no statistical differences between the active and remission phases within any of the lymphocyte subsets examined. There was, however, a significant difference between the RAS group and the control group. RAS patients have depressed CD4+ cell numbers and elevated CD8+ cell numbers. The CD4:CD8 ratio is also depressed. A dissection of the CD4+ subset shows raised numbers of CD4+, 4B4+ lymphocytes and depressed numbers of CD4+, 2H4+ lymphocytes. Previous studies have shown disruption of peripheral blood lymphocyte numbers in Behçet's syndrome. A similar pattern has now been shown in uncomplicated cases of minor RAS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Biology, University of Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: N W
authors.initials: NW
authors.lastname: Savage
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mahanonda
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Seymour
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Bryson
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Collins
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012008:Recurrence; D013281:Stomatitis, Aphthous / Q000276:immunology*; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000145:classification; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000145:classification