title: [Dynamic changes of T lymphocyte subsets in the long-term follow-up of severe acute respiratory syndrome patients].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the dynamic changes of T lymphocyte subsets in severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sequential anti-coagulated blood samples were collected from 62 seropositive SARS patients during the first week, the second week, the first month, the 2nd-3rd month, and 1 year after disease onset. T-lymphocyte subsets including CD4 + T cells, CD8 + T cells, and naive and memory CD4 + T cells were detected by flow cytometry. Samples from 56 healthy blood donors were also detected as healthy controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A rapid restoration in T-lymphocyte subsets was observed during a short period after infection. During the 2-3 months after disease onset, CD8 + T cell count returned to the normal level. At the same time point, CD4 + T cell and naive CD4 + T cell counts increased to (534 +/- 197)/mm3 and (175 +/- 75)/mm3 respectively. Total lymphocytes, T lymphocyte, CD4 + T and naive CD4 + T cell were still significantly lower than the normal levels even one year after disease onset.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The periphery T lymphocyte subsets in SARS infection shows transient decrease and then rapid recovery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, PUMC Hospital, CAMS and PUMC, Beijing 100730, China.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: Hong-wei
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.forename: Tai-sheng
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Zhi-feng
authors.initials: ZF
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Han
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D045169:Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome / Q000276:immunology*; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology*; D013997:Time Factors