The immunostatus of T helper and T cytotoxic cells in the patients ten years after exposure to sulfur mustard.

The treatment and cure of patients exposed to sulfur mustard is a remaining challenge despite ongoing research in this field. A severe suppression of the immune system still remains the major cause of opportunistic infections, septicemia, and death in these patients. The patients evaluated in this study were classified into three groups; severe, moderate, and mild according to the severity of exposure to sulfur mustard. We measured the total leukocyte and the status of T helper and T cytotoxic cells in such patients 10 year after being exposed to sulfur mustard. The total leukocyte was measured by using anti CD45+ and the amount of T helper and T cytotoxic were evaluated by anti CD3, anti CD4, and anti CD8, while the activity of T helper was measured by anti CD4 and anti CD25. T helper and T cytotoxic cells were evaluated in lymphocyte and leukocyte gates through forward scatter and side scatter flow cytometer. The results showed that the percentage of CD45+ were normal in all of the groups while the percentage of T helper and T cytotoxic cells were significantly (P < 0.05) decreased in the severe group comparing to mild group. Also the results indicate that CD4+/CD25+ cells in the most severely affected patients were significantly (P < 0.05) increased comparing to the other groups. Ten years following exposure to sulfur mustard, the immune system of the patients is still impaired and this might be related to their present health problems.