T4 lymphocytes (helper cells) and T8 lymphocytes (cytotoxic and suppressor cells) in patients with asymptomatic and symptomatic HIV infection

250 determinations of lymphocyte T subsets in 130 HIV infected patients (79 asymptomatic carriers or with lymphadenopathy, 31 ARC- and 20 AIDS-patients) were analyzed as to the percentage, number, and ratio of T4 (helper) and T8 (cytotoxic/suppressor) lymphocytes in sequential clinical stages of HIV infection. Asymptomatic HIV carriers or patients with lymphadenopathy were found to have statistically significant higher counts of erythrocytes, platelets, total lymphocytes, percentage and number of T4 lymphocytes and T4/T8 lymphocyte ratio than the ARC-patients. Persons with ARC in comparison with AIDS-patients were found to have significantly higher values of erythrocytes, platelets, leucocytes, total lymphocytes, T4 lymphocytes, percentage and count of T8 lymphocytes and T4/T8 lymphocyte ratio. In AIDS patients a statistically significant correlation was seen between number of T4 lymphocyte and number of erythrocytes, platelets, total number of lymphocytes and value of T4/T8 lymphocyte ratio.