Reference values of lymphocyte subsets in the normal healthy adult Kuwaiti Arab population

Fluorescent monoclonal antibody labelling followed by a lysed whole blood method and flow cytometry was used to determine the lymphocyte subpopulations in 127 (64 males and 63 females) normal healthy individuals in the adult (age 18–59 years) Kuwaiti population. Relative percentages and absolute values of CD2+, CD3+, CD19+, CD4+, CD8+, HLADR+, CD56+, CD45RO+, and CD45RA+ cells were determined. The reference ranges were CD2+, 73–92% (0.95–2.99×10 9 per l), CD3+, 64–85% (0.83–2.71×10 9 per l), CD19+, 6–22% (0.05–0.61×10 9 per l), CD4+, 34–54% (0.45–1.65×10 9 per l), CD8+, 20–42% (0.29–1.17×10 9 per l), HLADR+, 4–23% (0.02–0.62×10 9 per l), CD56+, 4–22% (0.06–0.58×10 9 per l), CD45RO+, 16–53% (0.26–1.42×10 9 per l) and CD45RA+, 35–72% (0.34–2.05×10 9 per l). The mean CD4/CD8 ratio was 1.50±0.35. CD3+ cells were positively correlated to both CD4+ and CD8+ cells ( P