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Lymphocyte subsets in healthy children during the first 5 years of life

T Denny1, R Yogev, R Gelman

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, New Jersey Medical School, Newark.

JAMA
|March 18, 1992
PubMed

Insights

CD4 and CD8 lymphocyte counts decrease with age in children. This study establishes age-specific reference ranges for CD4 and CD8 cells, crucial for interpreting pediatric immune status.

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Pediatric Hematology

Background:

  • Accurate interpretation of CD4 and CD8 lymphocyte subsets is vital in pediatric health.
  • Established reference ranges for lymphocyte subsets are primarily based on adult data.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine age-related changes in CD4 and CD8 lymphocyte counts and the CD4/CD8 ratio in healthy children.
  • To establish fifth and 95th percentiles for these values across different pediatric age groups.

Main Methods:

  • Flow cytometry was used for phenotypic analysis of lymphocyte subsets.
  • Blood samples were analyzed from 208 healthy children aged 1 to 59 months.

Main Results:

  • Both CD4 and CD8 lymphocyte counts significantly declined with increasing age.
  • The percentage of CD4 lymphocytes showed a strong age-dependent decrease, while CD8 percentage increased.
  • Median CD4 counts and their 5th-95th percentiles were determined for various pediatric age strata.

Conclusions:

  • Pediatric CD4 lymphocyte counts are substantially higher than adult values.
  • Age is a critical factor for interpreting lymphocyte subset values in children.
  • These findings are particularly relevant for monitoring pediatric HIV infection and guiding treatment decisions.
Abstract

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