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CD4/CD8 lymphocyte counts in healthy, HIV-positive individuals & AIDS patients
Reprint requests: Dr Krishna Ray, 2240, Sector-C, Pocket-2, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi110070, India e-mail: drkray@yahoo.com
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Received: ,
Abstract
Background & objectives:
The enumeration of CD4 and CD8 positive cells, surrogate markers for HIV disease progression, is helpful in management and follow up of immunocompromised HIVpositive patients. In assessing the degree of immune deficiency in HIV-positive patients of a particular region, knowledge of reference range of T-cell subset counts of healthy individuals of that particular region is essential. The present cross-sectional study was undertaken to determine the reference range of T-cell subsets in healthy north Indians and to compare the values with those in HIV-positives.
Methods:
Blood samples from 125 HIV seronegative healthy volunteers comprising group I (88 males, 37 females) and 452 HIV- positive patients, divided into group II of asymptomatic (n=137; 93 males, 44 females) and group III of AIDS patients (n=315; 253 males, 62 females) in the age group of 17-60 yr, were analysed for enumeration of CD4+, CD8+ cells/μl by flow cytometry.
Results:
In group I, the CD4 and CD8 levels were 687 ± 219 and 611±288 cells/μl in males and 740 ± 255 and 546 ± 246 cells/μl in females. Overall, a significant depressed level of CD4 (525 ± 207 cells/μl) and elevated level of CD8 (1174 ± 484 cells/μl) in group II and (170 ± 115 and 1051 ± 586 cells/μl) respectively in group III were observed. Group II patients had highest level of CD8 cells. No asymptomatic women had CD4 count of <200 cells/μl.
Interpretation & conclusion:
Our findings on T-cell subset reference ranges of normal healthy north Indians validate the utility of determination of CD4 cell count as a useful predictor of AIDS in Indian conditions and confirm that a significant per cent of AIDS patients had CD4 cell count below 200/μl.
