Abnormality of T cell subsets in patients with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura
Song, L.J.; Yu, J.R.; Ma, S.J.
Zhonghua Nei Ke Za Zhi 28(6): 364-367; 382-383
1989
ISSN/ISBN: 0578-1426 PMID: 2582916 Document Number: 341221
Fifty patients with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) and 50 normal controls were studied for T cell subsets using OKT monoclonal antibodies. These patients were found to have lower proportions of OKT4+ subset and higher proportions of OKT8+ ratio than the healthy controls. The perturbation was more severe in patients with active disease. A significant increase of OKT 4+8+ double-labelled cells deduced by a subtraction method was also observed in the peripheral blood of patients and an inverse correlation was demonstrated between the proportions of OKT4+8+ subset and the platelet counts. Furthermore, a positive correlation between the proportions of OKT4-8+ subset and the platelet counts was also found in patients with active ITP. These data suggest that abnormalities of T cell subsets in the peripheral blood may play an important role in the pathogenesis of ITP.