Correlation between T lymphocyte subsets and diabetic foot infection.

Objective To compare the differences of T lymphocyte subsets in diabetic foot infection and non-infected patients, and to study the relationship of T lymphocytes with diabetic foot infection. Methods Eighty-four patients with diabetic foot were collected and divided into infected group (48 cases) and non-infected group (36 patients) according to the infection. The T-lymphocyte subsets (CD3+ cells, CD4+ cells, CD8+ cells, CD4+ /CD8+ ratio) were compared between infected group and non-infected group at admission and the end of observation. Results The CD3+ cells [(59.34±4.45%)], CD4+ cells [(32.54±3.54%)] and CD4+ /CD8+ ratio [(1.25±0.40)] in infected group were significnatly lower than those in non-infected group at admission, whereas CD8+ cells [(27.57±4.53)%] in infected group was significantly high-er than non-infected group [(24.55±3.60%)]. In the infected groups, CD3+ cells [(63.23±5.54%)], CD4+ cells [(35.64±3.13%)] and CD4+ /CD8+ cell ratio [(1.40±0.25)] at the primary endpoint were significantly higher than the levels at admission, while CD8+ cells [(25.49±4.03%)] was lower (all with P0.05). Conclusion T lymphocyte subsets change in patients with concurrent infection of diabetic foot, suggesting cellular immune defects in the patients.