Effect of viral and bacterial pneumonias on cell mediated immunity in humans

C. A. Kauffman, C. C. Linnemann, G. M. Schiff, J. P. Phair

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

25 Scopus citations

Abstract

Cell mediated immunity (CMI) was assessed during infection and after convalescence in 12 patients with influenza pneumonia and 10 patients with bacterial pneumonia. The patients with influenza pneumonia had a marked impairment of skin test reactivity, and their lymphocytes showed a diminished response to phytohemagglutinin and streptokinase streptodornase stimulation in vitro. Suppression of CMI was related to the severity of the pneumonia. Patients with bacterial pneumonia showed as great a suppression of the response to phytohemagglutinin and streptokinase streptodornase as the patients with viral pneumonia. All parameters of CMI returned to normal in both groups after convalescence. The depression of CMI could not be related to a decrease in the number of thymus derived lymphocytes or to serum suppressive factors in these patients.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)78-83
Number of pages6
JournalInfection and immunity
Volume13
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - 1976

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Infectious Diseases
  • Parasitology
  • Microbiology
  • Immunology

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