ABSTRACT
Objective To investigate the relationship of cellular immunity of the hand-foot-mouth disease (HFMD) children and the disease severity and the variation following the recovery of disease.Methods A total of 560 HFMD cases was collected,and divided into severe and common groups.Another 120 cases were collected for comparison.T cell subsets (CD3 +,CD4 +,and CD8 +) rates were tested.The difference in cell immunity in each group were compared,and the comparison of cell immunity improv-ment during acute and recovery periods was conducted at the same time.Results In the 560 cases of children with HFMD,CoxA16-positive rate in common group was higher than that in severe group (x2 =280.72,P ＜0.01,severe cases); EV71 and other virus positive rates in severe group were higher than that in common group (x2 =127.75,P ＜ 0.01,x2 =5.43,P ＜ 0.05).Cell immunity was compared among3 groups (t =9.82,4.98,3.06); CD3+,CD4+,CD8+ results,tested within 2h after admission and after 1 week,were compared between severe and common groups (common group t =7.73,3.86,4.71; severe group t =6.13,2.60,3.36).Compared to severe group,cell immunity improvement was more obvious between before and after 1-week treatment in common group (t =2.57,2.51,2.95).The difference was statistically significant (P ＜ 0.05).Conclusions According to the etiology test of children with HFMD,CoxA16-positive rate was higher in common group; EV71 and other virus positive rates were higher in severe group.Cell immunity function decreased in severe and common group at the beginning of the disease; it was,however,significantly restored after 1-week treatment; and it was related to the severity of clinical symptoms.