T lymphocytes in non-malignant, pre-malignant and malignant changes of the cervix

T lymphocytes play an important role in the immune response to both neoplasia and viral infection. Normally about 60% of T lymphocytes in the peripheral blood are T4 lymphocytes, while 20-30% are T8 ones. The T4/T8 ratio is usually 2:1. When this ratio is inverted the most significant changes occur. The aim of our study was to examine the T4/T8 lymphocyte ratio in the peripheral blood of patients with histologically confirmed non-malignant and premalignant changes of the cervix and to compare it both with the ratio in patients with squamocellular carcinoma of the cervix and those without any cytological or colposcopical cervical abnormality. The study group consisted of 118 patients, 17 of them had leukokeratosis of the cervical epithelium, 20 had cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) and 42 patients had cervical cancer, 39 patients had normal cervical findings and comprised the control group. Peripheral blood lymphocytes were examined by indirect immunoperoxidase technique, using OKT 4 and OKT 8 monoclonal antibodies. The average T4/T8 lymphocyte ratio in the peripheral blood of patients with leukokeratosis was 1.55, and in those with CIN 1.19. In patients with cancer the ratio was 1.34. The differences was not statistically significant. The control group had an average T4/T8 ratio of 2.31 which was significantly different compared to the results of the other groups. The value of these and similar results obtained by other authors is still uncertain. The alteration of T lymphocyte subsets may occur in the peripheral blood of patients with viral infections and some viruses are considered important in the etiology of CIN.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)