Tuberc Respir Dis.  1990 Sep;37(3):306-312. 10.4046/trd.1990.37.3.306.

Proliferative Function and IL2 Receptor Expression by Lymphocyte in Patients with Tuberculous Pleurisy

• KMID: 2528487
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4046/trd.1990.37.3.306

Abstract

Immune response of the host against tuberculous bacilli was characterized by cell mediated immunity including the activation of T lymphocytes. In pleural fluid of the patients with tuberculous pleurisy, lymphocytes are predominant cells and the number of T helper cell is known to be greater than in peripheral blood. These findings suggest that the lymphocyte migrate into or proliferate in pleural fluid of tuberculous pleurisy. To search for the changes of T cell mediated immunity in patients with tuberculous pleurisy, we measured subsets and activation markers of lymphocytes and compared lymphoblast transformation to antigen (PPD) and mitogen (PHA) by pleural lymphocyte with those by peripheral blood lymphocyte of normal and the patients with tuberculosis. The results were as follows: 1) The percentage of lymphocyte was greater in pleural fluid than that in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) (p < O.05) and the percentage of monocyte in pleural fluid was less than that in PBMC but the difference was not significant. 2) The percentages of T lymphocyte and T helper cell were higher in pleural fluid lymphocytes when compared with those in PBMC-lymphocyte (p<0.05). 3) Interleukin 2 receptor expressed in a greater number of lymphocytes in pleural fluid than those in PBMC lymphocytes (p<0 .05). 4) Lymphoblast transformation to PPD and PHA was significantly higher by pleural fluid lymphocyte than that by peripheral blood lymphocytes in patients with tuberculous pleurisy (p < 0.05) 5) Spontaneous lymphoblast transformation was greatest in pleural fluid lymphocytes (p < 0.05), but lymphoblast transformation to PHA was lower by pleural fluid lymphocytes when compaired with those by PBMC of normal control and patients with pulmonary tuberculosis. We conclude that the majority of the T-lymphocytes in the pleural space after mycobacterium tuberculosis infection was helper T-cells and they move into pleural space rather than proliferate in pleural cavity.