Monoclonal antibody defined T cell subsets in primary and secondary Sjögren's syndrome.

Using monoclonal antibodies of the OKT series we studied the blood T lymphocyte subsets of 12 patients with Primary Sjögren's Syndrome, 15 with Rheumatoid Arthritis associated Sjögren's Syndrome and 10 normal controls. We found a marked reduction of T lymphocytes both in Primary and Secondary Sjögren's Syndrome compared with normal controls (p less than 0.001). While no difference was noted in the number of helper-inducer T cells between Primary and Secondary Sjögren's Syndrome, a more important decrease of suppressor-cytotoxic cells was demonstrated in Secondary Sjögren's Syndrome (p less than 0.01). These data may contribute to a better understanding of the disease.