Reduced CD4-CD8 T cell ratios in patients with Wegener's granulomatosis.

All of the patients with Wegener's granulomatosis (WG), whom we studied, exhibited abnormalities in lymphocyte subsets. We used two-color immunofluorescence flow cytometry to examine the lymphocyte subset alterations. WG group showed a decrease in the percentage of CD4+ cells and an increase of CD8+ cells. Within the NK cell family, functionally unidentified CD8+57+ cells were markedly increased in number. The disproportion of these lymphocyte subsets (CD4+ decreases, CD8+57+ increases) was similar to that seen in Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) and AIDS related complex (ARC).