title: Effects of age, gender, and cigarette smoking on human immunoregulatory T-cell subsets: establishment of normal ranges and comparison with patients with colorectal cancer and multiple sclerosis.
abstract: Normal ranges for peripheral circulating mature functional T cells (OKT3+), T helper-inducer cells (OKT4+), and T cytotoxic-suppressor cells (OKT8+) were determined in 161 normal male and female volunteers. Children between 5 and 15 years of age showed higher circulating OKT3+ cell numbers than adults, and in male children the circulating OKT4+ cell number was also higher. In adults, females demonstrated higher circulating OKT4+ cell numbers than males, and smokers demonstrated higher circulating numbers of both OKT3+ and OKT4+ cells than nonsmokers. There was a significant interaction between gender and smoking, with female smokers exhibiting the highest circulating OKT3+ cell numbers. Two groups of patients entering longitudinal T-cell subset monitoring studies were compared to their appropriate normal control groups. It was found that 48% of patients with colorectal cancer were T-cell (OKT3+) lymphopenic at presentation, and that 62% had a low OKT4/OKT8 ratio. Colorectal surgery tended to correct this T-cell lymphopenia. However, only transient rises in low OKT4/OKT8 ratios were observed after surgery. Of 11 patients with multiple sclerosis in a trial of transfer factor therapy, 7 were found to have high OKT4/OKT8 ratios prior to treatment; these ratios have persisted to date during treatment.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000375:Aging; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D010641:Phenotype; D012004:Rectal Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012016:Reference Values; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D012907:Smoking; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal