Objective: To investigate the relationship between immune function and the recurrent parotitis (RP) for children.
Methods: The children diagnosed as RP were divided into two groups: aged under 6y and over 6y and the immune function were measured and compared with that of normal children.
Results: For RP children the ratio of CD4+ T cell in over 6y group was significantly lower than that in under 6y group (P<0.05), while IgG value in over 6y group was higher than that in under 6y group (P<0.05). Compared with normal children, RP children in under 6y group had higher CD8+ T cell ratio and IgG, IgE, IgA and C3 value (P<0.01) and lower CD4+ T cell ratio (P<0.01), while RP children over 6y group, they had higher CD8+ T cell ratio, IgE value (P<0.01) and C3 (P<0.05), lower CD4<T cell ratio than those in control group (P<0.01). IgE value and CD8+ T cell ratio in under 6y group were higher than those over 6y control group (P<0.01).
Conclusion: Impaired immune function may play an important role in the recurrent parotitis in children.