Evaluation of T lymphocyte subsets in children with beta thalassemia major

Peripheral blood T lymphocytes and their subsets were studied in 31 patients with beta thalassemia major [age 2-12 years] and compared with 14 age-and sex-matched healthy controls. Three monoclonal antibodies [anti-CD3, anti CD 4, anti -CDS] were simultaneously applied for detection of th [CD3+ CD 4+] Ts/c [CD3+ CD8+] and Th/Ts ratio by flowcytometry respectively. The results of this study showed a slight increase in the number of T lymphocytes, T CD 4+ T CD8+, and CD 4+/CD8+ ratio; but this increase was not statistically significant [P>0.05]. No primary defect in T cell subsets was detected and it was suggested that continuous regulation of iron balance is an important factor in decreasing immunological disturbance

Comparative study of T and B cell status in bronchiolitis and bronchial asthma

The immunological status has been studied in 15 patients with hronchiolitis and in 15 patients of bronchial asthma. Each of these 2 groups were compared with 15 healthy children as a control. Eosinophilic percentage was higher in cases than in control in bronchial asthma group but no difference had been observed between cases and control in Bronchiolitis group. There was decrease in T-lymphocytes and increase in B-lymphocytes in cases if compared with their control in both bronchiolitis and bronchial asthma group. It is quite clear in this study that in both hronchiolitis and bronchial asthma there is a defect in cell mediated immunity and increase in humoral immunity

Immunological dynamics with oral contraceptives

Serum immunoglobulins [IgG and IgM] levels, T4 and T8 lymphocytes count were studied in 63 women to elucidate the effect of ethinyl estradiol "in oral contraceptives" on the immune functions. The women were divided into three groups; the "never users group" of 15 who never used oral contraceptive pills, "the current users group" of 25 who were using pills for 1-3 years and "the past users group" of 23 who stopped pills for 6 - 12 months. The current users group shoewed significant increased levels of both IgG and IgM, while the past users showed no significant difference when compared with the never users. T-cell count, in current users, showed a remarkable decrease in T4 and increase in TB but both were statistically insignificant when compared with the never users while the past users showed nearly similar figuresas never users. This study may prove the safety of the oral contraceptives on immune functions but it suggests that the potental estrogen immunosuppression may depend either on the dose and/or the period of use