The aim of this study was to determine the percentage of lymphocyte subsets in peripheral blood in patients with active tuberculosis. A total of 21 patients with active tuberculosis and 15 healthy volunteers were included in the study. T-lymphocyte subsets, B-lymphocytes (CD19+ cells), natural killer (NK) cells and cells positive for costimulatory molecules CD28 and CD152 were evaluated using flow cytometry. Patients with tuberculosis had a significantly decreased percentage of CD3+ and CD3+CD4+ cells, and a significantly decreased ratio of CD3+CD4+ to CD3+CD8+ cells compared with healthy controls. In contrast, the percentage of B-cells (CD19+ cells), CD3+CD8+ cells, CD28+ cells, CD152+ cells, and subpopulations of CD4+CD152+, CD8+CD152+ and CD8+CD28+ T-cells were all significantly increased compared with healthy controls. There were no statistically significant differences in the percentages of NK cells or CD4+CD28+ cells between patients and controls. These results indicate that patients with active tuberculosis have altered lymphocyte homeostasis.
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