Laboratory investigations
The altered parameters of lymphocyte typing showing a predominance in
IEI+ group were the following: lymphopenia (p=0.009), a reduction below
the lower limit of normal (LLN) in CD4+ naїve T-cells% (p=0.001), CD8+
naїve T-cells% (p=0.022), T-reg cells% (p=0.009) and switched memory
B-cells% (p=0.008), an increase over the upper limit of normal in CD4+
effector memory T-cells% (p=0.001) and CD21low B-cells% (p=0.003)
(Table 3). There was a difference in mean lymphocyte count (p=0.001)
between IEI+ and IEI- groups. Mean CD4+ T-cell count was inferior
(p=0.017) in IEI+ group, the same goes for mean CD8+ T-cell count
(p=0.004). There was a difference (p<0.001) in mean CD4+ naїve
T-cell% count between IEI+ and IEI- groups, as for CD8+ naїve T-cell%
count (p<0.001). Mean CD4+ central memory T-cell% count was
superior (p=0.002) in IEI+ group, the same goes for CD4+ effector memory
T-cell% count (p=0.001) and CD8+ effector memory T-cell% count
(p=0.002). CD19+ B-cell count was on average lower (p=0.002) in IEI+
group, as for CD19+ B-cell% count (p=0.034) and CD21low B-cell% count
(p=0.009). There was a difference (p<0.001) in switched memory
B-cell% count between IEI+ and IEI- groups, the same goes for
plasmablast% count (p=0.036) (Table 4). In IEI+ group, CD4+ naїve
T-cells% showed a positive correlation with CD8+ naїve T-cells%
(Pearson’s R=0.769) and a negative correlation with CD4+ effector memory
T-cells% (Pearson’s R=-0.660) and CD21low B-cells% (Pearson’s
R=-0.627). Furthermore, in CVID subgroup, we observed a negative
correlation between CD4+ naїve T-cells% and CD21low B-cells%
(Pearson’s R=-0.453) (Fig. 2).
Hypogammaglobulinemia involving at least one class among IgG, IgA, IgM
was more frequent in IEI+ group (89% vs 36%, p=0.001), the same goes
for hypogammaglobulinemia involving at least two classes (68% vs 12%,
p<0.001) (Table 3). Mean IgG count was inferior (p=0.002) in
IEI+ group, as for IgA (p=0.010) and IgM (p<0.001) (Table 4).