title: Rapid loss of both CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocyte subsets during the acute phase of severe acute respiratory syndrome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the alteration of peripheral lymphocyte subsets in severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) patients and to help improve the early diagnosis of the disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  Anti-coagulating blood samples from 98 SARS patients in the acute phase, 56 normal healthy blood donors, and from patients infected by HIV, CMV and EBV were collected. The T lymphocyte subsets were counted by flow cytometry using fluorescence-labeled specific monoclonal antibodies.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A significant decrease was observed in all SARS patients in their peripheral CD4(+) and CD8(+) T lymphocyte absolute counts [256 (104) x 10(6)/L and 256 (117) x 10(6)/L, respectively], which were also lower than those of the patients infected with HIV, CMV and EBV. All patients infected with HIV, CMV and EBV had significantly higher CD8(+) T lymphocyte counts in comparison with normal controls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Decrease of both CD4(+) and CD8(+) T lymphocytes of patients is related to onset of SARS. T lymphocyte subset analysis would help improve the early diagnosis of the disease.
authors.affiliation: Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100730, China. tli@21cn.com
authors.forename: Taisheng
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Zhifeng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Zhong
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Hongwei
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: Xiaojun
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Aixia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology*; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008297:Male; D045169:Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis*