Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 24, 2026
Noninvasive Sampling of Mucosal Lining Fluid for the Quantification of In Vivo Upper Airway Immune-mediator Levels
Published on: August 7, 2017
[Changes in lymphocyte subsets in infants with common lower respiratory tract infectious diseases]
Li-Ting Jia1, Jing Li, Xiao-Xin Yue
1Department of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450052, China. jialt@163.com.
Insights
Infants with lower respiratory tract infections show altered immune cell counts, indicating disturbed cellular immunity and heightened humoral immunity. These immune changes correlate with the specific infection type and its severity.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Pediatrics
- Infectious Diseases
Context:
- Lower respiratory tract infections are common in infants.
- Understanding immune system alterations is crucial for managing these diseases.
- Lymphocyte subset analysis provides insights into immune status.
Purpose:
- To investigate changes in lymphocyte subsets in infants diagnosed with bronchitis, bronchopneumonia, and bronchiolitis.
- To determine the clinical significance of these immune alterations.
- To correlate immune changes with disease type and severity.
Summary:
- Infants with bronchitis had lower T cells and CD3+CD8+ T cells.
- Bronchopneumonia was associated with reduced T cells, increased T helper (Th) cells, and a higher CD4/CD8 ratio; severe cases showed more pronounced T cell reduction and B cell increase.
- Bronchiolitis showed elevated Th cells, a higher CD4/CD8 ratio, and decreased CD3+CD8+ T cells. All disease groups exhibited increased B cells and decreased natural killer cells compared to controls.
Impact:
- Reveals a pattern of suppressed cellular immunity and enhanced humoral immunity in infant respiratory infections.
- Suggests that lymphocyte subset profiles can serve as indicators of disease type and severity.
- Provides a basis for exploring targeted immunomodulatory therapies for pediatric respiratory infections.
Objective:
To investigate the changes and clinical significance of lymphocyte subsets in infants with bronchitis, bronchopneumonia, and bronchiolitis.
Methods:
A total of 111 children with bronchitis, 418 children with bronchopneumonia, and 83 children with bronchiolitis were enrolled as disease groups, and 235 healthy children were enrolled as control group. Flow cytometry was applied to measure lymphocyte subsets.
Results:
The bronchitis group had significantly lower numbers of T cells and CD3+CD8+ T cells than the control group (P<0.05). The bronchopneumonia group had significantly lower numbers of T cells and CD3+CD8+ T cells, a significantly higher number of T helper (Th) cells, and a significantly higher CD4/CD8 ratio than the control group, as well as a significantly higher number of Th cells than the bronchitis group. Compared with the children with mild bronchopneumonia, those with severe bronchopneumonia showed a reduction in T cells and an increase in B cells (P<0.05). The bronchiolitis group had a significantly higher number of Th cells, a significantly higher CD4/CD8 ratio, and a significantly lower number of CD3+CD8+ T cells than the control group (P<0.01). The disease groups showed a significantly higher number of B cells and a significantly lower number of natural killer cells than the control group (P<0.05).
Conclusions:
A low, disturbed cellular immune function and a high humoral immune function are involved in the development and progression of lower respiratory tract infectious diseases. The changes in immune function are related to the type and severity of diseases.
More Related Videos
08:44Separation of Immune Cell Subpopulations in Peripheral Blood Samples from Children with Infectious Mononucleosis
Published on: September 7, 2022
09:01An In vitro Model to Study Immune Responses of Human Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells to Human Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection
Published on: December 10, 2013
Related Concept Videos
01:22Development of Immunocompetence
The initial cells that migrate from the fetal thymus settle within the skin and epithelial tissues lining the mouth, digestive tract, and in females, the uterus and vagina. These cells, including skin-based dendritic cells, serve as antigen-presenting cells, playing a key role in T cell activation.
Subsequent T...
01:29Microbiota of the Respiratory Tract
01:25Immunodeficiency Diseases
There are three main causes of immunodeficiency...
01:30Development of Human Microbiota
01:23Cells of the Adaptive Immune Response
01:27Disorders of Leukocytes
Leukopenia may result from bone marrow disorders, autoimmune diseases, and infectious diseases. For example, conditions such as multiple myeloma and aplastic anemia can impair the bone marrow's ability to produce adequate leukocytes. Similarly, autoimmune diseases like lupus and viral infections such as HIV can prompt the immune...