Measurement of subgroups of peripheral blood T lymphocytes in patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome and its clinical significance.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the changes of subgroups of peripheral blood T lymphocytes in patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and its clinical significance.


METHODS
Subgroups of blood T lymphocytes in 93 patients with SARS were detected by flow cytometer. The results detected in 64 normal subjects and 50 patients with AIDS served as controls.


RESULTS
The numbers of CD(3)(+), CD(4)(+), and CD(8)(+) lymphocytes all significantly decreased in acute phase of patients with SARS [(722 +/- 533)/microliter, (438 +/- 353)/microliter, (307 +/- 217)/microliter] compared with those in normal controls [(1527 +/- 470)/microliter, (787 +/- 257)/microliter, (633 +/- 280)/microliter, all P <0.01], which was different from what we observed in patients with AIDS who had decreased CD(4)(+) [(296 +/- 298)/microliter] but increased CD(8)(+) [(818 +/- 566)/microliter] counts. The counts of CD(3)(+), CD(4)(+), and CD(8)(+) lymphocytes decreased more apparently in patients with severe SARS. All the five patients who died had CD(4)(+) counts less than 200/microliter. As the patients' condition improved, CD(3)(+), CD(4)(+), and CD(8)(+) counts gradually returned to normal ranges.


CONCLUSIONS
The damage of cellular immunity is probably an important mechanism of pathogenesis of SARS.
Tang
Xiaoping
X
Department of Infectious Diseases, Guangzhou No.8 People's Hospital, Guangzhou 510060, P. R. China. xtang@21cn.com
Yin
Chibiao
C
Zhang
Fuchun
F
Fu
Yonggui
Y
Chen
Weilie
W
Chen
Yanqing
Y
Wang
Jian
J
Jia
Weidong
W
Xu
Anlong
A
D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000276:immunology; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D045169:Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome / Q000276:immunology*; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology*