Reference Intervals for Lymphocyte Subpopulations in Healthy Chinese Han Adults: A Single-Center Study

To establish reference intervals of lymphocyte subpopulations in the healthy Chinese Han adult population and to explore the relationship between the lymphocyte subpopulations and routine health indicators.

We enrolled 120 healthy individuals aged between 22 and 60. Flow cytometry was utilized to assess lymphocyte subpopulations in peripheral blood samples. Variance analysis was conducted to determine reference intervals and to evaluate the effects of age and gender. Cluster analysis and correlation coefficient tests were employed to elucidate the relationships between lymphocyte subpopulations and routine health indicators.

Reference intervals of lymphocyte subpopulations among healthy adults were established. Significant differences between male and female were observed in the levels of central memory CD8⁺ T cells (p = 0.03), effector memory CD8⁺ T cells (p = 0.04), and Th2-like T cells (p = 0.01). An increase in the percentage of CD4⁺ T cells (p = 0.01) and HLADR⁺ CD8⁺ T cells (p = 0.01), along with a decrease in naïve CD8⁺ T cells (p = 0.01), were associated with increasing age. Cluster analysis indicated the potential of lymphocyte, including transitional B cells, CD3⁺ T cells, naïve CD4⁺ T cells, naïve B cells, and naïve Treg, related to CA19-9 and the percentage of lymphocyte in WBC. Correlation tests showed the negative correlation between age and CD28⁺ CD8⁺ T cells (p = 0.00) and the negative correlation between alcohol and naïve B cells (p = 0.02).

This study not only established the normal reference intervals of lymphocyte subpopulations but also provided insights into the factors that may be related to these measurements, contributing valuable information for health management strategies.