Investigation of Lymphocyte Subsets in Peripheral Blood of Patients with Dyslipidemia

OBJECTIVE: In order to evaluate the effect of dyslipidemia on cellular or humoral immunity in patients, changes in the absolute number of lymphocyte subsets were detected. METHODS: Flow cytometry was applied to determine the absolute value of lymphocyte subsets: B cell, NK cell, CD4(+) T cell including the functional subset (CD4(+)CD28(+)), native subset (CD4(+)CD45RA(+)CD62L(+)), memory T cell subset (CD4(+)CD45RA(−)), CD8(+) T cell including the functional subset (CD8(+)CD28(+)) and activated subsets (CD8(+)CD38(+) and CD8(+)DR(+)). The relationship between lymphocyte subsets and hypercholesterolemia and hypertriglyceridemia was analyzed. RESULTS: The absolute values of CD19(+) B cell, CD3(+) T cell, CD4(+) Th cell, CD4(+)CD28(+) cell, naive CD4(+) T cell and memory CD4(+) T cell in patients with dyslipidemia were markedly higher than those in healthy controls (P<0.05). There was no significant difference between healthy controls and dyslipidemia patients in other lymphocyte subsets (P>0.05). The absolute values of CD3(+) T cell and naive CD4(+) T cell were significantly positively correlated with hypercholesterolemia in peripheral blood (r=0.291 and 0.306, respectively, all P<0.05). There was no significant correlation between hypertriglyceridemia and lymphocyte subsets (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: Dyslipidemia has potential effects on immune profiles in lymphocytes subsets, and changes in lymphocyte subsets in dyslipidemia patients may lead to immune dysfunction.