Changes in lymphocyte subsets in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and their clinical significance

Objective To study the clinical significance of lymphocyte subsets in peripheral blood in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients.Methods The percentages of CD3 +/CD4 + ,CD3 +/CD8 + ,CD3 +/CD19 + and NK cells (CD3 +/CD16 + + CD56 + ) in peripheral blood were determined by flow cytometry in 70 SLE patients (38 in active stage and 32 in inactive stage) and 30 normal subjects (control group) .Results Compared with control group,the percentages of CD3 +/CD4 + and NK cells in active SLE patients were decreased (P0.05) ,while the percentages of CD3 +/CD8 + and B cells (CD19 + ) were significantly increased (P0.05) ,and that of CD4 +/CD8 + was significantly decreased.The level of CD3 +/CD4 + in SLE patients in stable stage was higher than that in those in active stage (P0.05) ,but the level of CD3 +/CD8 + was lower than that in those in active stage.Conclusion Changes in lymphocyte subsets in peripheral blood in SLE patients is related to disease stage and clinical mani-festation.