Peripheral blood and mesenteric lymph node lymphocytes in Crohn's disease.

Analysis of peripheral blood lymphocytes from 44 patients with Crohn's disease showed no difference in the proportions of T- and B-cells from those in 38 healthy controls. Analysis revealed no disturbances in relation to duration or to activity of disease or to drug treatment. Lymphocytes from 18 patients with rheumatoid arthritis also showed normal proportions of T- and B-cells. Lymphocytes taken from gut lymph nodes were studied in five patients with Crohn's disease. On comparison with peripheral blood lymphocytes, significantly decreased proportions of T-cells and significantly increased proportions of B-cells were found in lymph nodes draining areas of diseased bowel. No differences were seen in the proportions of T- and B-cells from lymph nodes taken from apparently healthy bowel of the Crohn's patients and of four control subjects without inflammatory bowel disease, though these were different from those in the peripheral blood in both the Crohn's patients and control subjects.