Lymphocyte subsets in experimental hemochromatosis.

The distribution of lymphocyte subsets in blood, thymus, spleen, mesenteric lymph nodes, Peyer's patches and bone marrow was evaluated in an experimental model of secondary hemochromatosis in rats. The values of CD2, CD4, CD8, B and NK cells in these different lymphoid compartments did not differ between the control group and the experimental group. These results suggest that the abnormalities of lymphocyte subsets previously reported in patients with secondary hemochromatosis may be due to factors other than iron overload.