Studies on Respiratory Failure in Pulmonary Tuberculosis (The Third Report)

-Studies of Peripheral Blood Lymphocyte Subsets-

Abstract

By using OKT monoclonal antibodies including OKT₄ (inducer/helper), OKT₈ (suppres-sor/cytotoxic) and OKI_a1, T lymphocyte subsets were examined in peripheral blood lymphocytes of patients with tuberculosis during its treatment.
The following results were obtained.
1. At active stage, there were a decrease in OKT₄ (36.8%), slight decrease in the ratio of T₄/T₈ (1.35) and an increase in OKT₈ (29.5%) as compared to their values at inactive stage.
2. We found a decrease in OKT₄ and the ratio of T₄/T₈ before treatment and an increase in values at 2-12 months after treatment.
3. We observed a minimal increase in vital capacity in cases with a decrease of OKT₄ and of the ratio of T₄/T₈ before treatment.