非定型抗酸菌症の免疫学的検討

I.末梢血リンパ球サブセット値について

抄録

The present study was undertaken to enumerate the proportion and absolute number of various lymphocyte subsets in the peripheral blood of 18 patients infected with atypical mycobacteria (AM). Those of age-atched 54 normal controls and 17 chronic excreters (chronics) with tuberculosis were also studied.
The results obtained were as follows:
1) The size of tuberculin reaction to PPD-s in patients with AM was significantly lower than that in chronics.
2) In AM, we found a significant decrease in the number of total lymphocytes, pan T cells (Leu4⁺), helper/inducer T cells (Leu3⁺) and inducer T cells (Leu 3⁺ 8⁺) compared to normal controls.There was also a decrease in the proportion of inducer T cells in AM.
2) In AM, we found a significant decrease in the number of total lymphocytes, pan Tcells (Leu4+), helper/inducer T cells (Leu3+) and inducer T cells (Leu 3+ 8+) compared to normal controls.There was also a decrease in the proportion of inducer T cells in AM.
In chronics, a similar decrease in total lymphocytes, pan T cells and helper/inducer Tcells was not significant compared to normal controls.However, we found a significant increase in the proportion of suppressor/cytotoxic T cells (Leu 2⁺) in chronics.The ratio of T4/T8 cells was slightly low in both groups as compared to normal controls.There was also an increase in the proportion of activated T cells (Leu 4+ DR +) in AM.The number of B cells (Leu 4⁺ DR⁺) tended to be decreased in both groups as compared to controls.
3) Among the natural killer cell subsets, we observed a significant increase in the proportion of Leu 7⁺ cells, Leu 11⁺ cells, Leu 11⁺7^- cells and Leu 7⁺2⁺ cells in AM.
In chronics, there was an increase in the proportion of Leu 7⁺2⁺ cells.
These findings suggest that a decrease in circulating T-ymphocyte subsets may play a role in the pathogenesis of pulmonary infection with AM.