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Age-related changes in lymphocyte subpopulations in healthy Thai children
Butsabong Lerkvaleekul1, Nopporn Apiwattanakul2, Chompunuch Klinmalai2
1Division of Rheumatology, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
Insights
Lymphocyte subpopulation percentages change with age in Thai children, with most increasing and CD4+ T cells decreasing. Establishing age-specific reference values is crucial for accurate interpretation.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Pediatrics
- Hematology
Background:
- Ethnicity and environment impact lymphocyte subpopulation percentages.
- Previous research lacks specific data for Thai children.
- Understanding these variations is vital for pediatric health assessment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine age-related changes in lymphocyte subpopulations in Thai children.
- To establish reference values for lymphocyte subsets in a Thai pediatric cohort.
- To compare findings with international data.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study design.
- Analysis of lymphocyte subpopulations in umbilical cord and peripheral blood.
- Stratification of 182 healthy Thai children into five age groups (cord blood, <2, 2-5, 5-10, 10-15 years).
Main Results:
- Most lymphocyte subpopulations (CD8+ T cells, CD19+ cells, γδ T cells, NK cells) increased significantly with age.
- CD4+ T-cell percentage showed a decrease in older children.
- Age-specific correlations were observed for various lymphocyte subsets.
Conclusions:
- Significant age-related shifts in lymphocyte subpopulations were observed in Thai children.
- These patterns differ from those reported in other populations.
- Country-specific reference values for lymphocyte subsets are recommended for clinical use.
Background:
Ethnicity and environmental factors can influence the percentages of lymphocyte subpopulations. This study aimed to assess the percentages of lymphocyte subpopulations according to age in Thai children.
Methods:
This was a cross-sectional study. The percentages of lymphocyte subpopulations were measured in umbilical cord blood and peripheral blood of healthy Thai children aged 1 month-15 years. The participants were stratified into five age groups: (a) cord blood; (b) age < 2 years; (c) age 2-5 years; (d) age 5-10 years; and (e) age 10-15 years.
Results:
Of 182 total samples, 32, 39, 41, 28, and 42 were from cord blood, children aged <2 years, children aged 2-5 years, children aged 5-10 years, and children aged 10-15 years, respectively. The percentages of most lymphocyte subpopulations including CD8 + T cells, CD19 + cells, γδ T cells, double-negative T cells, NK cells, and NK T cells increased significantly with age. Only the CD4+ T-cell percentage decreased in older children. Moderate correlations were observed between age and the percentages of CD4+ T cells, γδ T cells, NK cells, NK T cells, and double-negative T cells. Weak correlations were observed between age and the percentages of CD8+ T cells and CD19+ cells.
Conclusion:
Our study demonstrated age-related changes in the percentages of lymphocyte subpopulations in Thai children, which differed from those described in other countries. Therefore, the establishment of age-specific reference values for lymphocyte subsets in each country is recommended.
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