OBJECTIVETo investigate the clinical significance of memory T cells (CD45RO⁺ T) and the initial T cells (CD45RA⁺ T) distribution in peripheral blood of patients with peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL).

METHODSA total of 27 patients diagnosed as PTCL in our hospital from February 2010 to February 2014 were collected in this study; whereas 30 healthy people were enrolled as control. The distribution of CD45RO⁺ T and CD45RA⁺ T cells were detected seperately in each group, and the results were analysed further.

RESULTSThe expression of T cell antigens in lymphnodes of PTCL patients were diverse: the CD4⁺ T cells were the main immune phenotype, while the B cell-related antigen was not expressed. The CD4⁺/CD8⁺, CD4⁺ CD45RO⁺ T in the peripheral blood of PTCL patients were significantly lower than that in normal group (P < 0.05); while the CD4, CD45RA⁺ T, CD8⁺ CD45RA⁺ T and CD8⁺ CD45RO⁺ T were significantly higher than that in normal group (P < 0.05). The patients in stage I/II had higher CD4⁺/CD8⁺, CD4⁺ CD45RO⁺ T than those in stage III/IV (P < 0.05), whereas the CD4⁺ CD45RA⁺ T, CD8⁺ CD45RA⁺ T and CD8⁺ CD45RO⁺ T were significantly lower than those in the stage III/IV patients (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe distributions of CD45RA⁺ T and CD45RO⁺ T in PTCL patients are quite different, and the corresponding treatment might be adopted according to the different distribution of these cells, so as to improve the diagnosis and prognosis of PTCL.