Abstract
Study objective. To determine whether or not the levels of γ δ lymphocytes increase in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid from patients with pulmonary tuberculosis. Design. Prospective data collection relating to cells in BAL fluid and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from patients with pulmonary tuberculosis and control subjects. Setting. A university hospital, from March 1990 to December 1993. Patients. Thirteen patients with pulmonary tuberculosis who were diagnosed by culture of Mycobacterium tuberculosis from their sputum of BAL fluid and/or clinical response were enrolled in the study. Fifteen healthy volunteers participated as control subjects. Measurements and results. The differential cell counts in BAL fluid were made by Diff-Quik stain. The percentages of T-cell receptor (TCR) ( γ δ and α β )-positive lymphocytes and interleukin 2 (IL-2) receptor-positive CD3 lymphocytes in BAL fluid and peripheral blood were measured by dual scan with flow-cytometry. The percentage and absolute number of lymphocytes and the percentages of CD3 +, IL2R + lymphocytes in BAL fluid significantly increased in patients with tuberculosis when compared with those of control subjects. The percentages and numbers of γ δ and α β TCR-positive lymphocytes in BAL fluid and PBMC from patients with tuberculosis and indistinguishable from those of control subjects. Conclusions. γ δ Lymphocytes do not appear to have as much meaning in patients as they do in animal studies.
Published Version
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