Abstract
Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) is an autoimmune disorder, occurring predominantly in women. We studied by flow cytofluorimetry the T cell subsets in men and women with ITP and compared them with healthy sex-matched volunteers. In healthy controls, women were found to have higher proportions of T helper/inducer (T(h/i)) and lower T suppressor/cytotoxic (T(s/c)) lymphocytes and consequently higher T(h/i):T(s/c) ratios than men. Accordingly, in clinical surveys, patients and controls should be matched for sex for proper comparisons. In patients with ITP in its active phase, an imbalance in T cell subsets was found in both sexes. The perturbation was more severe in women who had a marked decrease in number and proportion of T(h/i) lymphocytes and an increase in the proportion of T(s/c) lymphocytes, whereas in men only, the proportion of T(h/i) lymphocytes was decreased. When patients with active disease were compared to those with ITP in remission, the decrease in T(h/i) subsets still persisted in both sexes but the T(s/c) subset in women had returned to normal proportions. Therefore, the immune imbalance in ITP is more marked in women than men; imbalances in both T(h/i) and T(s/c) are present in women while T(s/c) appears not to be involved in men.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 967-972 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| Journal | Blood |
| Volume | 66 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| State | Published - Dec 11 1985 |
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ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Hematology
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Differences in T cell subsets between men and women with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura. / Mylvaganam, R.; Ahn, Yeon; Harrington, W. J.; Kim, C. I.; Gratzner, H. G.
In: Blood, Vol. 66, No. 4, 11.12.1985, p. 967-972.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Differences in T cell subsets between men and women with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura
AU - Mylvaganam, R.
AU - Ahn, Yeon
AU - Harrington, W. J.
AU - Kim, C. I.
AU - Gratzner, H. G.
PY - 1985/12/11
Y1 - 1985/12/11
N2 - Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) is an autoimmune disorder, occurring predominantly in women. We studied by flow cytofluorimetry the T cell subsets in men and women with ITP and compared them with healthy sex-matched volunteers. In healthy controls, women were found to have higher proportions of T helper/inducer (T(h/i)) and lower T suppressor/cytotoxic (T(s/c)) lymphocytes and consequently higher T(h/i):T(s/c) ratios than men. Accordingly, in clinical surveys, patients and controls should be matched for sex for proper comparisons. In patients with ITP in its active phase, an imbalance in T cell subsets was found in both sexes. The perturbation was more severe in women who had a marked decrease in number and proportion of T(h/i) lymphocytes and an increase in the proportion of T(s/c) lymphocytes, whereas in men only, the proportion of T(h/i) lymphocytes was decreased. When patients with active disease were compared to those with ITP in remission, the decrease in T(h/i) subsets still persisted in both sexes but the T(s/c) subset in women had returned to normal proportions. Therefore, the immune imbalance in ITP is more marked in women than men; imbalances in both T(h/i) and T(s/c) are present in women while T(s/c) appears not to be involved in men.
AB - Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) is an autoimmune disorder, occurring predominantly in women. We studied by flow cytofluorimetry the T cell subsets in men and women with ITP and compared them with healthy sex-matched volunteers. In healthy controls, women were found to have higher proportions of T helper/inducer (T(h/i)) and lower T suppressor/cytotoxic (T(s/c)) lymphocytes and consequently higher T(h/i):T(s/c) ratios than men. Accordingly, in clinical surveys, patients and controls should be matched for sex for proper comparisons. In patients with ITP in its active phase, an imbalance in T cell subsets was found in both sexes. The perturbation was more severe in women who had a marked decrease in number and proportion of T(h/i) lymphocytes and an increase in the proportion of T(s/c) lymphocytes, whereas in men only, the proportion of T(h/i) lymphocytes was decreased. When patients with active disease were compared to those with ITP in remission, the decrease in T(h/i) subsets still persisted in both sexes but the T(s/c) subset in women had returned to normal proportions. Therefore, the immune imbalance in ITP is more marked in women than men; imbalances in both T(h/i) and T(s/c) are present in women while T(s/c) appears not to be involved in men.
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M3 - Article
C2 - 2931143
AN - SCOPUS:0021933576
VL - 66
SP - 967
EP - 972
JO - Blood
JF - Blood
SN - 0006-4971
IS - 4
ER -