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[Effect of the method on the results of determining T-cell subpopulations]
A Neubauer1, A van Lessen, D Huhn
1Abteilung Innere Medizin und Poliklinik, Universitätsklinikum Rudolf Virchow, Standort Charlottenburg, Berlin.
Two methods of determining lymphocyte subpopulations were compared on samples obtained from 18 healthy blood donors and 16 HIV-positive patients. In the whole-blood method directly marked monoclonal antibodies were used, whereas Ficoll-separated mononuclear cells were assayed indirectly. The number of CD4-positive helper cells was significantly lower in both groups in the whole-blood test, but that of CD8-positive suppressor cells significantly increased after Ficoll separation. In HIV-infected patients the values for CD8-positive lymphocytes were even further apart than in the healthy donors. As a result the difference in the ratio CD4/CD8 was higher in HIV-infected patients (0.3 vs 0.65; P less than 0.001) than in the healthy donors (1.35 vs 1.8; P less than 0.001).
Two methods of determining lymphocyte subpopulations were compared on samples obtained from 18 healthy blood donors and 16 HIV-positive patients. In the whole-blood method directly marked monoclonal antibodies were used, whereas Ficoll-separated mononuclear cells were assayed indirectly. The number of CD4-positive helper cells was significantly lower in both groups in the whole-blood test, but that of CD8-positive suppressor cells significantly increased after Ficoll separation. In HIV-infected patients the values for CD8-positive lymphocytes were even further apart than in the healthy donors. As a result the difference in the ratio CD4/CD8 was higher in HIV-infected patients (0.3 vs 0.65; P less than 0.001) than in the healthy donors (1.35 vs 1.8; P less than 0.001).