[Cytofluorimetric analysis of blood lymphocyte subpopulations detected using monoclonal antibodies in patients with type I diabetes mellitus].

The content of lymphocytes of different immunological phenotypes: T11+ (all T-lymphocytes), T8+ (suppressors/killers), T4+ (inducers/helpers) and NKH1+ (natural killer cells) was investigated in the blood of 11 patients with type I diabetes mellitus by the method of flow-rate cytofluorimetry using a laser cell sorting device EPICS-C (Coulter), and a kit of monoclonal antibodies; 16 primary donors entered into the control group. As compared to the controls the patients demonstrated a statistically significant decrease in the absolute content of T11+, T4+, T8+ and especially NKH1+-cells. The results obtained confirmed previous data reported by us and other authors concerning disorder in the system of NK cells in insulin dependent diabetes mellitus. These results accounted for frequent development of infectious-inflammatory complications in this disease.