Abstract
Lymphopenia is a recognized but poorly studied feature of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We set out to establish the prevalence and significance of lymphopenia in RA. A group of 66 RA patients was studied for one year. During this time 10 (15%) had persistent lymphopenia (lymphocyte count less than 1.00 X 10(9)/l) without evidence of Felty's syndrome. A separate study of lymphocyte subsets in 13 lymphopenic RA patients showed marked reduction in T-cell numbers with normal circulating B-cell numbers. The numbers of CD4 and CD8 positive T-cells were equally depressed. Lymphopenia may indicate more severe disease. It was not influenced by changes in disease activity or therapy.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.