Tuberc Respir Dis.  1987 Sep;34(3):197-208. 10.4046/trd.1987.34.3.197.

Immunocytochemical Study on the Change of the Percentage and Absolute Numbers of T Lymphocytes and their Subsets in the Peripheral Blood and Pleural Effusion of Tuberculosis Patients

• KMID: 2528643
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4046/trd.1987.34.3.197

Abstract

The immunocytochemical study was performed to observe the changes of the percentage and absolute numbers of T-Iymphocytes and their subsets in the peripheral blood and pleural effusion of tuberculosis patients The peripheral blood obtained from fifteen healty persons and thirty-eight pulmonary tuberculosis patients (minimal 14, moderate 11, far advanced 13), and the pleural fluid from tuberculous pleruisy patients were smeared onto the gelatin coated slide glass prepared for the smear of mononuclear cells. The double bridge technique of alkaline phosphatase-antialkaline phosphatase (AP AAP) method was lIsed. As the primary antibodies, T₁ (anti-human T cells), T₄ (anti-human helper/ inducer T cells) and T ₉ (anti-human supressor/ cytotoxic T cell) antibodies were used. The following results were obtained from this experiment. 1) The percentage of T _{1 +} and T _{4 +} cells showed marked decrease in the pulmonary tuberculosis and tuberculous pleurisy patients. That of T₈₊ cells showed no change. T ₄₊ / T₈₊ ratio showed marked decrease in all experimental groups. 2) There are no differences in the percentage of T_{4 +} cells and T_{4 +} / T₈₊ ratio between each group of Pulmonary tuberculosis patients. 3) The tuberculous pleurisy patients showed decrease in the percentage of T_{4 +} cells but no change in that of T₈₊ cells in the peripheral blood, and showed 76% of T_{1 +} cells, 68% of T_{4 +} cells and 17% of T₈₊ cells in the pleural effusion. 4) There were significant decreases in the absolute number of T_{1 +} , T_{4 +} and T₈₊ cells in the peripheral blood of all groups of tuberculous patients. 5) There were positive correlations between the long diameter of induration caused by tuberculin skin test and the percentage of T_{1 +} cells, T_{4 +} cells and T_{4 +} /T ₈₊ ratio.