T & B cell test interpretation

[Aileen]

I was digging around in some very old (early 1990's) test results and came across the following. At the time I didn't really understand any of this stuff and my doctor said nothing about it so I forgot about it. Now I am looking at these results and they do not match up with what I remember reading about T4/T8 ratios and NK cell results. I am wondering if anyone has had any of these results or may know what they may mean.

The test was done at a hospital lab in Ontario and was called a "Peripheral Blood Lymphocyte Subset Analyses: CFS(M.E.)" Results were provided for both percentages and absolute numbers x10 9/L. I'll type in my result with the reference range in brackets, first the % result then the actual number.

Total Lymphocyte Count 52% (20-40%) and 2.9 (1.1 - 3.0)
B4 (CD19) Total B cells 10% (2-21%) and 0.29 (0.05 - 0.40)
T4 (CD4) Helper-Inducer 45% (27-57%) and 1.31 (0.40 - 1.80)
T8 (CD8) Suppressor-Cytotoxic) 31% ( 8-32%) and 0.90 (0.14 - 0.80)
Leu 15 (CD11B) 36% (7-29%) and 1.04 (0.14 - 0.60)
Leu 17 (CD38) 68% (38-68%) and 1.97 (0.80 - 1.85)
HLA/DR 26% (10-26%) and 0.75 (0.14 - 0.68)
NK cells 5% (2-17%) and 0.15 (0.05 - 0.30)


T4/T8 Ratio (CD4/CD8) 1.5 (0.5 - 4.5)

Percent of Total CD8+
CD8-CD11B+ 5 (5-16)
CD8-CD38+ 41 (12-45)
CD8-DR+ 8 (2-15)

Comments and Diagnosis:
Increase of the CD11B, CD38 and HLA-DR labelled cells.

 

[August59]

I wish someone that might have knowlege of this test could possibly comment on this test. It appears to be a test to determine a subset of ME/CFS. As Aileen said this was from the early 90's.

 

[heapsreal]

High numbers indicate your fighting something and low numbers show your immune system tiring. but cd8 being high can indicate ebv or cmv reactivating, this is the test my doc uses.

cheers!!!

 

[MishMash]

Dr. Klimas said she didn't trust any lymphocyte testing, beyond her own lab, because quality control is so bad. Nobody knows when your sample makes it there. She goes to the lab and checks everything out on a regular basis at UM. The timeliness of the deliveries is assured. I'm not sure about for profit labs. Might be accurate, maybe not.

 

[Sherlock]

I wish someone that might have knowlege of this test could possibly comment on this test. It appears to be a test to determine a subset of ME/CFS. As Aileen said this was from the early 90's.

August, the use of subset in the report refers to subsets of immune cells - those expressing different surface proteins according to what the cells are doing at the time. For example:
Leu 15 (CD11B) 36% (7-29%) and 1.04 (0.14 - 0.60)

I think that refers to neutrophils expressing surface proteins that allow them to to adhere to blood vessel walls and then leave the vasculature (extravasate) into tissue to attack some invader. Neutrophils usually attack bacteria, fungi or maybe some parasites. Since that count is the one that's the highest out of range, that might be a clue as to what was going on. (That protein has the word macrophage in it's name, but that same protein is used by neutrophils, also.)

Or it is a monocyte/macrophage... and they get involved in most everything.

 

[August59]

Thanks Sherlock for clearing this up for myself for sure and hopefully others.