[Evaluation of the subsets of lymphocytes and their activated status in patients with myelodysplastic syndrome].

This study was purposed to investigate the clinical significance of the amount and activated status of T cell subsets, B cells, NK cells in peripheral blood from patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). The proportion of T cells, B cells, NK cells in peripheral blood from 30 patients with MDS and their surface activation markers of CD28, CD45RA, CD45RO, CD69, HLA-DR were analyzed by flow cytometry. Twenty-two patients were in the low risk group (RA + RAS) while eight patients were in the high risk group (RAEB + RAEBT). The result showed that the amounts of T cells (CD3+ cells) in peripheral blood from patients with MDS were lower than those in control group. The amounts of naive CD4+ cells (CD4+ CD45RA+ cells) in MDS patients were lower than those in control. The expression rates of early activation marker (CD69) and late activation marker (HLA-DR) on CD3+ cells in MDS patients were significantly higher than those in control. The abnormalities of the immunologically competent cells were mainly observed in the low risk group (RA + RAS), and were characterized by the high expression rates of CD69+ and HLA-DR+ on CD3+ cells, the decrease of B cell amounts. The amount abnormalities of T cell subsets were mainly observed in high risk group (RAEB + RAEBT), and were characterized by the decrease of CD3+ cells and CD3+ CD4+ CD8- cells (Th cells) amounts without high expression of the CD69 and HLA-DR, the decrease of NK cells amounts. It is concluded that there are the abnormalities of T cell subsets and function in the patients with MDS and may change with disease progression, so the measurement of amount and activated status of T cell subsets in peripheral blood from MDS patients can have predictive role for diagnosis of disease progression and guide of therapy.