OBJECTIVE: To investigate the characteristics of T lymphocytic subsets in chronic tonsillitis patients for evaluation of their clinical implication. METHOD: Fresh peripheral blood samples were obtained from 54 chronic tonsillitis patients and 52 healthy counterparts. CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocyte subsets including the naive (CD45RA+), memory (CD45RO+), functional (CD28+), activated (HLA-DR+, CD25+) and apoptosis (CD95+) T lymphocytes, were analyzed by flow cytometry, respectively. The clinical data such as serum Cystatin C con centration, ASO and ESR were simultaneously recorded from each chronic tonsillitis patient. RESULT: The CD4+ T cells, the rate of CD4+/CD8+ and CD4+ CD45RA+ /CD4+ CD45RO+, the CD4+ CD45RA+ T cells and the CD4+ CD25+ T cells in chronic tonsillitis were significantly lower than those of the control group (P < 0.05) while an obviously increasing percentage of memory (CD45RO+) and apoptosis (CD95+) T lymphocytes in chronic tonsillitis patients, and there were significant differences between the patients with chronic tonsillitis and the healthy volunteers (P < 0.05). Furthermore, in the chronic tonsillitis patients, Serum Cystatin C level was negatively correlated with CD4+ CD45RA+ T(P < 0.05), and not significantly correlated with other T lymphocyte subtypes (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION Immune disorder is present in the peripheral blood of chronic tonsillitis patients. Our data may provide valuable information for evaluation of disease progression of chronic tonsillitis patients.
Adolescent ; Adult ; CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes ; Case-Control Studies ; Chronic Disease ; Female ; Flow Cytometry ; Humans ; Leukocyte Common Antigens ; Lymphocyte Count ; Male ; Middle Aged ; T-Lymphocyte Subsets ; Tonsillitis ; blood ; physiopathology ; Young Adult