[Cellular immunity characteristics in drug abusers with pulmonary tuberculosis].
OBJECTIVE
To explore the characteristics of cellular immunity in drug abusers with pulmonary tuberculosis.


METHODS
Sixty drug abusers with pulmonary tuberculosis and 60 non-drug abusers with pulmonary tuberculosis (control) were enrolled in this study. Three days after establishment of a definite diagnosis, peripheral blood was taken from the patients for lymphocyte subgroup (CD3(+), CD3(+)/CD4(+), CD3(+)/CD8(+) T lymphocyte subgroups and NK cells) examination by flow cytometry, and the CD4(+)/CD8+(+) ratio was calculated. The difference of cellular immunity between the drug abusers and control group was analyzed statistically.


RESULTS
CD3(+) and CD3(+)/CD4(+) T lymphocytes subgroups and NK cells of the drug abusers were significantly lower than those of the control patients (P=0.037, 0.028 and 0.015), and the former patients had also significantly lower CD4(+)/CD8(+) ratio (P=0.021). The pulmonary tuberculosis types and CD3(+)/CD8(+) T lymphocyte subgroup were not significant different between the two groups (P=0.053 and 0.85).


CONCLUSIONS
Drug abuse might depress cellular immunity in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis, which further complicate the treatment of this disease.
Liu
Kun
K
Guangzhou Municipal Hospital of Chest Medicine, Guangzhou 510095, China. liukun009@vip.sohu.com
Cai
Zhi-Qun
ZQ
Wu
Bi-Tong
BT
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017252:CD3 Complex / Q000378:metabolism; D015704:CD4 Antigens / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000628:therapy; D055815:Young Adult
D017252:CD3 Complex; D015704:CD4 Antigens