title: A study of the CD4: CD8 ratio in peripheral T lymphocytes of rural Papua New Guineans: a reduced ratio assessed with regard to infectious agents.
abstract: The CD4:CD8 ratio in peripheral T lymphocytes was determined in 123 Papua New Guineans aged over 5 years from Rumginae, a rural area of the Western Province. 18 people had a ratio less than 1.0. No antibody response to human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV 1) was found within the group. Hepatitis B surface antigen was more commonly associated with a CD4:CD8 ratio less than 1.0 than were microfilaraemia or a positive Mantoux test. Hepatitis B infection may be one of the causes of the CD4:CD8 ratio reduction within the community. Irrespective of the cause, other studies in Papua New Guinea have shown that a CD4:CD8 ratio less than 1.0 may result more from an increase in the CD8 cell count than a reduction in the CD4 cell count.
authors.affiliation: Anton Breinl Centre for Tropical Health and Medicine, James Cook University of North Queensland, Townsville, Australia.
authors.forename: P F
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Turner
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D016516:CD4-CD8 Ratio; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004605:Elephantiasis, Filarial / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology; D015497:HIV-1; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010219:Papua New Guinea / Q000453:epidemiology; D011159:Population Surveillance; D015995:Prevalence; D012424:Rural Population; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D014374:Tuberculin Test; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology; D014958:Wuchereria bancrofti
chemical_list: D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens