Peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets in adolescents: a longitudinal analysis from the REACH project

Clin Diagn Lab Immunol. 2002 Sep;9(5):959-65. doi: 10.1128/cdli.9.5.959-965.2002.

Abstract

Flow cytometry analysis of lymphocyte subset markers was performed for a group of sexually active, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-negative adolescents over a 2-year period to establish normative data. Data were collected in the REACH Project (Reaching for Excellence in Adolescent Care and Health), a multicenter, longitudinal study of HIV-positive and high-risk HIV-negative adolescents. Two- and three-color flow cytometry data were collected every 6 months for these subjects. We determined the effects of gender, race, and age on the following lymphocyte subset markers: total CD4(+) cells, CD4(+) naïve cells, CD4(+) memory cells, all CD8(+) cells, CD8(+) naïve cells, CD8(+) memory cells, CD16(+) natural killer cells, and CD19(+) B cells. Gender was the demographic characteristic most frequently associated with differences in lymphocyte subset measures. Females had higher total CD4(+) cell and CD4(+) memory cells counts and lower CD16(+) cell counts than males. Age was associated with higher CD4(+) memory cell counts as well as higher CD8(+) memory cell counts. For CD19(+) cells, there was an interaction between age and gender, with males having significantly lower CD19(+) cell counts with increasing age, whereas there was no age effect for females. Race and/or ethnicity was associated with differences in total CD8(+) cell counts and CD8(+) memory cell counts, although both of these associations involved an interaction with gender.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Antigens, CD19 / analysis
  • CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / chemistry
  • CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / cytology*
  • CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / chemistry
  • CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / cytology*
  • Child
  • Cohort Studies
  • Female
  • Flow Cytometry / standards*
  • Humans
  • Immunologic Memory
  • Longitudinal Studies
  • Male
  • Receptors, IgG / analysis
  • Reference Values

Substances

  • Antigens, CD19
  • Receptors, IgG