To study the changes of T-cell subsets and glucocorticoid receptor (GCR) in children with anaphylactoid purpura. T-cell subsets and GCR were measured respectively by cytotoxicity assay and GCR radioligand-binding assay in peripheral blood lymphocytes from 35 children with anaphylactoid purpura and 35 normal children. The result showed that the average percentages of CD3+, CD4+ cell subtypes and the CD4+/CD3+ ratio were 46.03% +/- 9.40%, 31.06% +/- 6.80% and 1.23 +/- 0.33 respectively, and the GCR numbered 3060 +/- 2153 binding sites per cell in the study group, on the other hand, the average percentages of CD3+, CD4+ cell subtypes and the CD4+/CD3+ ratio were 53.11% +/- 5.40%, 35.01% +/- 4.41% and 1.52 +/- 0.26 respectively, and the GCR numbered 5210 +/- 1639 binding sites per cell in the control group. These indicate that and that patients with anaphylactoid purpura may have abnormal immunomodulations and decreased GCR numbers per cell, which may have effects on the immune dysfunctions in the pathogenesis of anaphylactoid purpura.