Peripheral Blood Lymphocyte Subsets in Patients with Salmonellosis

Abstract

ABSTRACTThe aim of this study was to establish the quantitative characteristics of the peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets in patients with salmonellosis and their relationship with severity of the disease and early elimination of bacteria from feces. 24 adult patients with culture proven gastrointestinal salmonellosis were enrolled in the study. They were assigned into groups on the basis of disease severity (moderate or severe) and the presence of bacteria in feces upon discharge (carriers or bacteria free patients). Flowcytometric analysis was used to determine the percentage and absolute counts of lymphocyte subsets per μl/blood as follows: CD19+, CD2+, CD3+, CD3+CD4+, CD3+CD8+, CD4+CD29+, CD4+CD45RA+, CD56+, CD8-CD56+, CD8+CD56+ and CD3+HLA-DR+. Immunophenotyping was performed using Epics XL-MCL flowcytometer and monoclonal antibodies (Coulter, USA). It was found out that B lymphocytes (CD19+) and total killer cells (CD56+) were significantly higher in patients with severe infection compared to those with moderate salmonellosis (p=0.03 and 0.01 respectively). On the contrary, T helper lymphocytes (CD3+CD4+) showed a tendency to decrease in patients with severe salmonellosis (p=0.04). In the acute disease stage T helper lymphocytes and total killer cells were significantly higher (p=0.05 and 0.03 respectively) in patients that were bacteria free upon discharge compared to convalescent carriers, whereas B cell levels were significantly lower (p=0.03). This data provide evidence in support of the observation that bacterial clearance is dependent on cell mediated immunity and CD3+CD4+ and CD56+ lymphocytes might serve as a predictor of early bacterial clearance of salmonella bacteria in humans.