[Determination of T anb B lymphocytes in patients with rheumatic fever]

The populations of "T" and "B" lymphocytes were evaluated in the present work employing the rosette technique in patients with active rheumatic fever, diagnosed according to Jones' criterion. "B" lymphocytes were found diminished at 7 days after the acute episode of rheumatic fever and increased at 35 days. These findings can be correlated with the hypergammaglobulinemia observed in this type of cases. Although there were wide variations in the quantity of "T" lymphocytes in some patients with rheumatic fever in this study, the porcentual and absolute values of "T" lymphocytes had no modifications when these were compared with the control group. The patients showed leucocytosis when entered the hospital and 7 days after. At 35 days of hospitalization they presented discrete lymphocytosis. Since the patients with rheumatic fever usually receive anti-inflammatory treatment with steroids, and as these drugs are capable of decreasing selectively the "T" lymphocytes, their effect on the kinetics of the lymphocytes in rheumatic fever has to be elavuated in further studies.