T and B lymphocytes in patients with steroid-dependent bronchial asthma during long-term treatment.

Since corticosteroids are known to be a potent factor redistributing the peripheral blood lymphocytes to other body compartments, we estimated the sub-populations of T and B lymphocytes in peripheral blood of steroid dependent asthma patients. In twenty steroid-treated asthma patients and eighteen healthy blood donors the percentage and absolute number of lymphocytes forming spontaneous rosettes with sheep red blood cells ("early" and "late" T lymphocyte marker) and mouse red blood cells (B lymphocyte marker) were determined. The asthma patients were treated with 40 or 60 mg of triamcinolone acetonide (Kenalog) i.m. for at least one year or more prior to the study. No statistically significant differences were observed in lymphocyte subpopulations between steroid-treated asthma patients and healthy blood donors.