[The profile of T-lymphocyte subsets' populations in 4 different kinds of pulmonary disorders].

By using the bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) technique, the authors observed the distribution of T-lymphocyte subsets both in peripheral blood and BAL fluid from 4 different kinds of pulmonary disorders (44 cases). It was shown that the percentage of lymphocytes in BAL fluid was increased, the CD+3 and CD+4 cells were elevated and 4/8 ratio was also significantly elevated in the sarcoid patients (11 cases); the CD+4 cells decreased but the CD+8 cells increased and the 4/8 ratio decreased significantly in the patients of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (7 cases) and the patients with thoracic malignant tumors (20 cases). This special profile of T-lymphocytes indicates that the cell-mediated immune function may play an important role in the pathogenesis of the above illnesses.