[Circulating lymphocyte subpopulations in patients with Crohn's disease].

Circulating lymphocytes were enumerated in 25 patients with Crohn's disease and in 43 healthy donors by immunofluorescent staining using monoclonal antibodies for T cell surface phenotypic markers (CD 3, CD 4, CD 8) or for surface immunoglobulin of B cells (mu-chain). Proportions of peripheral T cells and percentages of T cell subsets in Crohn's disease were not significantly different from those in controls. For analyzing the lymphocytes for the expression of activation associated antigens (HLA-DR, CD 25) we found increased numbers of activated lymphocytes during acute exacerbation, whereas, in remission, the population of activated lymphocytes was in the upper normal range. The results leads to the conclusion that the assessment of activated lymphocytes may serve as a parameter in the evaluation of the activity of Crohn's disease.