title: Increase in activated T cells and reduction in suppressor/cytotoxic T cells in acute rheumatic fever and active rheumatic heart disease: a longitudinal study.
abstract: In a prospective study, patients with acute rheumatic fever (ARF) and active rheumatic heart disease (ARHD) showed a significant increase in CD4+ T cells, CD22+ B cells, and CD4:CD8 cell ratio but a significant decrease in the percentages of CD8+ and CD3+ T lymphocytes compared with patients with quiescent RHD (CRHD) or streptococcal pharyngitis (SP) and normal controls. The proportion of interleukin-2 receptor (IL-2R)+ (CD25+) cells was higher in peripheral blood mononuclear cell cultures (both before and after phytohemagglutinin stimulation) of ARF and ARHD patients than in those of CRHD or SP patients or controls; this finding persisted up to 48 weeks. In ARF patients, the percentage of CD8+ cells returned to within normal range at 48 weeks. Furthermore, the percentage of IL-2R+ cells correlated positively with the percentage of CD4+ but not of CD8+ lymphocytes, suggesting that helper/inducer T cells are in an immunologically activated state and may account for aberrations in the distribution of lymphocyte populations in peripheral blood of ARF and ARHD patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Medicine, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Morris
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mohan
authors.forename: P L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Wahi
authors.forename: I S
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Anand
authors.forename: N K
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Ganguly
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008875:Middle Aged; D010612:Pharyngitis / Q000097:blood / Q000382:microbiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012213:Rheumatic Fever / Q000097:blood*; D012214:Rheumatic Heart Disease / Q000097:blood*; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000097:blood; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000473:pathology*; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000473:pathology; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000473:pathology