PERIPHERAL-BLOOD LYMPHOCYTE SUBPOPULATIONS IN INDIAN WOMEN WITH CERVICAL INTRAEPITHELIAL NEOPLASIA AND INVASIVE CANCER - AN IMMUNOCYTOCHEMICAL STUDY USING MONOCLONAL-ANTIBODIES

The peripheral blood lymphocyte subpopulations in Indian women with various grades of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia [33], invasive cancer [22] and matched controls [30] were studied using specific monoclonal antibodies and biotin avidin immunofluorescence technique. Our results showed a significant fall in peripheral T (CD2) B(CD22) cells in patients with CIN III and invasive cervical cancer lesions compared to controls (P < 0.001). Similarly the quantum of T helper cells (CD4) decreased according to the severity of cervical lesions (P < 0.01 - P < 0.001), whereas the T suppressor cells (CD8) depicted an increasing trend in patients with higher grade of cervical lesions (CIN III and invasive cancer, P < 0.001) as compared to controls. Further, the CD4 CD8 ratio showed a significant downfall with the severity of cervical lesions (P < 0.01 - P < 0.001), indicating a perturbance in the homeostasis of host cellular immunity. © 1990.