All issues > Volume 39(2); 1996

Original Article

J Korean Pediatr Soc. 1996;39(2):264-272. Published online February 15, 1996.

Age Related Reference Ranges for Lymphocyte Subsets in Healthy Korean Children

Dong Un DU Kim¹, Joon Sung JS Lee¹

¹Department of Pediatrics, Catholic University Medical College, Seoul, Korea

Abstract

Purpose
: This study was aimed to investigate the age related changes of lymphocyte subset values in healthy Korean children.
Methods
: Eighty healthy children were divided into four groups: group A(less than 1yr, n=20), group B(from 1 to 211/12 yr, n=20), group C(from 3 to 511/12 yr, n=20), group D(more than 6 yr, n=20). Their blood were examined for the proportions of CD3+, CD4+, CD8+ and CD19+ lymphocytes utilizing monoclonal antibodies and flowcytometry.
Results
: 1) The percentage of CD19+ lymphocytes was significantly decreased with age. 2) The percentage of CD3+ lymphocytes was relatively constant, irrespective of age. 3) The percentage of CD4+ lymphocytes was significantly decreased with age. 4) The percentage of CD8+ lymphocytes was increased with age, but the changes were not significant. 5) The ratio of CD4+/CD8+ cells was significantly decreased with age. 6) The absolute numbers of total lymphocytes, CD19+, CD3+, CD4+ and CD8+ lymphocytes were significantly decreased with age.
Conclusion
: In this study, as in previous other studies1-6), the results suggest that there are specific changes in proportions of lymphocyte subsets with age, independent of total lymphocyte count. There were similar trends of changes in many studies, but the reference ranges were somewhat differnt from one another. We thought that it is desirable for each individual laboratory to research its own age related normal reference ranges.

Keywords :Lymphocyte subset, Normal children