Objective: To investigate the differences of T lymphocyte subgroups and high-sensitivity C reactive protein (HsCRP) levels among patients with venous thromboembolism (VTE), VTE patients with infection, simple infection patients and the normal controls.
Method: 289 patients were enrolled in this study and divided into control group, VTE group, VTE with infection group and simple infection group.
Result: Compared with the control group, the serum levels of CD3(+), CD4(+), CD8(+) T lymphocytes significantly decreased and CD4(+)/CD8(+) ratio significantly increased in simple infection group (P < 0.05); CD3(+) and CD8(+) T lymphocytes significantly decreased and CD4(+)/CD8(+) ratio significantly increased in VTE and VTE with infection group (P < 0.05); the proportion of declined CD3(+) and CD8(+) T lymphocytes increased, and the proportion of increased CD4(+)/CD8(+) ratio statistically elevated in three disease groups. As an important inflammatory factor, all HsCRP levels in three disease groups significantly increased when compared with the control group.
Conclusion: Immune dysfunction exists in both of VTE and infection patients, while VTE patients tend to be accompanied with infections. The changes of T lymphocyte subgroups in VTE patients, who were independent from infection, could cause T lymphocyte immune dysfunction, suggesting that there were abnormalities of T lymphocyte immune function in VTE itself. The overall T lymphocyte functions of recognizing antigens and transducing activation signals decline in VTE patients. Besides, the function of T lymphocyte of directly killing virus microbes declines significantly and the inflammatory mechanisms are involved in the occurrence and development of venous thrombosis.
Keywords: T lymphocyte; immune function; venous thromboembolism.