title: Immune system parameters in children of Central and Eastern Europe: the CESAR study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  of this paper is to compare observed values of immune parameters obtained in the CESAR study (The Central Europe Study of Air Pollution and Respiratory Health, funded by EC PHARE program) with ranges derived from other large population-based studies.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were collected in healthy school children aged 9-11 years, in 6 countries: Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania and the Slovak Republic with the same standard approach in 1996. Random samples of 85 children per country, from 19 communities were selected from children having completed the health questionnaire, in total 495 children were analyzed. Lymphocyte subsets were determined by two-colour flow cytometric immunophenotyping using the lysed whole blood method (Becton-Dickinson). For determination of immunoglobulin concentration in sera nephelometric method (Behring Nephelometer system) was used.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Medians, (5th-95th percentiles) of the lymphocyte subsets absolute count (x 10(9)/l) were as follows: CD19+ B cells 0.36 (0.13-0.66), total CD3+ T cells 1.74 (0.98-2.90), CD3+CD4+ helper-inducer T cells 0.95 (0.47-1.78), CD3+CD8+ suppressor/cytotoxic T cells 0.71 (0.38-1.22), CD3-CD16+56+ NK cells 0.36 (0.14-0.78), and for CD3+CD4+/CD3+CD8+ ratio 1.4 (0.8-2.4). Medians, (5th-95th percentiles) of percentages of lymphocyte subpopulations (%) were as follows: CD19+ B 13 (7-22), CD3+ T 70 (59-80), CD3+CD4+ T 38 (27-48), CD3+CD8+ T 28 (20-39), CD3-CD16+56+ NK cells 14 (6-27). Medians, (2.5th-97.5th percentiles) of the total immunoglobulin [g/l] were 11.7 (7.4-18.2) for IgG, 1.2 (0.5-2.5) for IgM, and 1.5 (0.5-3.4) for IgA. Based on the aspects of the size of the CESAR immune biomarker study and on the use of the standardized protocols we recommend to use the reference ranges on lymphocyte subsets and immunoglobulin in Europe as provided by this study.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Immunology, F. D. Roosevelt Hospital, Banská Bystrica, Slovak Republic.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Timová
authors.forename: G S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Leonardi
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hrubá
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Lochman
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lochmanová
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Erdei
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Jazwiec-Kanyion
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Niciu
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Steerenberg
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: van Loveren
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000276:immunology*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood*; D002648:Child; D002669:Child Welfare / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005061:Europe, Eastern; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000097:blood*; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000097:blood / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014505:Urban Population
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D015415:Biomarkers; D007136:Immunoglobulins