title: Polymorph function and cellular immunity in Nigerians with pulmonary tuberculosis.
abstract: Polymorphonuclear leukocyte intracellular killing of Staphylococcus aureus and chemotactic indices as well as T and B lymphocyte subpopulations were determined in 35 healthy controls and 70 Nigerians with pulmonary tuberculosis. The patients were radiologically classified into exudative, fibro-cavitary, miliary, and mixed lesions groups. Migration inhibition factor (MIF) production and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G-6 PD) levels were also determined in 40 patients and 20 controls. The polymorph function as shown by chemotaxic and killing index was significantly reduced (P < 0.05) in all patients when compared to the controls. Reduced G-6-PD levels though found in patients when compared to the controls was not significant. A reversal of the T helper/T suppressor ratio was found in all tuberculosis patients when compared to the controls as a result of decreased T helper cell numbers. T helper cells as well as the MIF index tended to be lowest in the miliary lesions group.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine and Immunology, Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria, Niegeria.
authors.forename: G C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Onyemelukwe
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gupta
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000145:classification; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000145:classification; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000145:classification; D002634:Chemotaxis, Leukocyte / Q000276:immunology; D005954:Glucosephosphate Dehydrogenase / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular / Q000276:immunology*; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000201:enzymology / Q000276:immunology*; D009549:Nigeria; D010587:Phagocytosis / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000145:classification; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D005954:Glucosephosphate Dehydrogenase