Immune Functions of Former Poison Gas Workers Il. Lymphocyte subsets and interleukin 2 production

A depression has been observed in phytohemagglutinin (PHA) response of lymphocytes, one of the functions of T cells, in former workers of the Okunojima poison gas factory (Poison gas workers) having a high risk of carcinogenesis. The authors in an attempt to delineate the mechanism of this depression measured lymphocyte subsets and interleukin 2 (IL-2) production of lymphocytes in these poison gas workers and compared the results with those obtained from age matched normal controls.
1) In comparison with normal controls it was observed with regard to lymphocyte subsets that both percentage and absolute number of Leu-2a+ cells in poison gas workers were significantly elevated and that both percentage and absolute number of Leu-7+ cells and Leu-3a/Leu-2a ratio were significantly depressed.
2) In comparison with normal controls IL-2 production of lymphocytes in poison gas workers showed a slightly low level, but the difference was not significant.
3) A significant positive correlation was demonstrated between PHA response, IL-2 production, and Leu-3a/Leu-2a ratio in poison gas workers.