RELATIONSHIP OF DEFECTIVE CELL-MEDIATED-IMMUNITY TO VISCERAL DISEASE IN SYSTEMIC-SCLEROSIS

  • 1 January 1977
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 28  (2) , 233-240
Abstract
Phytohemagglutinin-induced lymphocyte transformation and circulating thymus-dependent (T) lymphocyte numbers were studied in 28 patients with systemic sclerosis (SS), in 50 normal controls and in 11 elderly controls. Patients with SS had impaired lymphocyte transformation responses which showed a positive correlation with the number of circulating T lymphocytes and the extent of visceral involvement by the disease. This defect of cell-mediated immunity could not be attributed to the effects of increasing age, corticosteroid treatment, Fe and folate deficiency or inhibitory serum factors. The defect may have pathogenetic implications for the disorder.