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Age-related changes in blood lymphocyte subsets of south Indian children

Soumya Swaminathan1, Luke Elizabeth Hanna, Alamelu Raja

  • 1HIV/AIDS Division and Immunology Division, Tuberculosis Research Centre, Mayor V.R. Ramanathan Road, Chetput, Chennai 600031, Tamil Nadu, India. doctorsoumya@yahoo.com

The National Medical Journal of India
|December 19, 2003
PubMed

Insights

Reference values for lymphocyte subsets in Indian children are established, revealing age-related declines in absolute counts of CD3+, CD4+, and CD8+ cells between ages 3 and 11.

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Paediatric Haematology

Background:

  • Lymphocyte subset enumeration is crucial for diagnosing and monitoring immunological and haematological disorders.
  • Existing reference values for lymphocyte subsets do not account for age, sex, and racial variations, particularly in Indian children.
  • There is a need for specific reference ranges for Indian children to improve diagnostic accuracy.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To establish reference values for lymphocyte subsets in healthy Indian children.
  • To investigate age-related changes in lymphocyte subset expression in this population.

Main Methods:

  • A study was conducted on 138 healthy Indian children aged 3-15 years in Chennai.
  • Haemoglobin levels, total and differential cell counts were analyzed using an automated counter.
  • Lymphocyte subsets were quantified using flow cytometry.

Main Results:

  • Absolute lymphocyte counts, including CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, and CD19+ cells, significantly declined with age from 3 to 11 years.
  • Percentage values for CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, CD16/56+ cells, and the CD4/CD8 ratio remained stable across age groups.
  • A normogram correlating age with CD4 count was developed.

Conclusions:

  • The study provides essential reference data for interpreting lymphocyte subset changes in Indian children.
  • Age-related decreases in absolute lymphocyte counts and specific subsets (CD4, CD8) were identified in children aged 3-11 years.
  • The developed normogram aids in age-specific clinical interpretation.
Abstract

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