Peripheral blood T lymphocyte subsets in children with congenital asplenia

Abstract The aim of the current study was to examine whether a congenital lack of the spleen changes distribution, state of activation and function of peripheral lymphocyte T subsets. Seven children with congenital asplenia (CA) aged 1.5–17 years and seven age-matched controls were tested. By triple-color flow cytometry we examined: (1) the expression of CD3+ , CD4+ , CD8+ , CD19+ , and CD56+ on lymphocytes; (2) the distribution of CD45RA+ and CD45RO+ in CD4+ and CD8+ ; (3) the expression of CD27+ in the CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell-bearing CD45RA+ , CD45RO+ , or CD45RB+ . Lymphocyte proliferative responses and cytokines production (IFN-gamma, IL-6, TNF-alfa, and IL-10) in anti-CD3-induced peripheral blood mononuclear cells were tested. The results indicate (1) a normal distribution of the basic lymphocyte subsets, (2) low CD3+ /CD8+ percentage but expressing CD8+high and non-significantly elevated CD4+ /CD8+ ratio, (3) CD45RA+high and CD27+high in the CD4+ and CD8+ T cell, and (4) CD45RB+high in the CD4+ and CD45RO+high in the CD8+ . The distribution of CD27+ in the CD45RA+ and CD45RO+ CD4+ T cells remained unchanged. However, the percentage of CD8+ /CD45RO+ /CD27+ T cells tended to be elevated. Altogether, these data indicate that CA is connected with (1) the presence CD4+ T cells expressing the “naive” phenotype (CD45RA+high RB+high and CD27+high ), (2) high numbers of activated CD8+ T cells shifted toward the memory phenotype (CD45RO+high ) but still showing high CD27+ expression, which may indicate failure in T CD8+ cytotoxic effectors differentiation, and (3) a tendency to the rather pro-inflammatory status of cells, low IL-10 expression, and suboptimal lymphocytes responses to mitogenic stimulation.