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To elucidate alteration of peripheral T cell subsets in thyroid tumors, the author enumerated T cell subsets in periphral blood by indirect imrnunofluorescent method, using monoclonal antibodies (CD3, CD4 and CD8) in 17 cases of thyroid cancer, 12 cases of thyroid adenorna, and 16 cases of adult healthy subjects as controls. Diagnoses were confirmed histopatologically in thyroid cancer and adenoma, and were established on the basis of commonly accepted cIinical and biochemical criteria in Hashimotos thyroiditis. The blood was drawn from veins of (he patients and control subjects in Pusan National University Hospital during the period of January to October 1990. The results obtained were summarized as follow: 1) The percentage of CD3+ cells was signficantly decreased in thyroid cancer as compared with healthy subjects. 2) The percentage of CD4+ cells was not different among thyroid cancer, thyroid adenoma, Elashimotos thyroiditis and control subjects each other. 3) The percentage of CD8+ cells was significantly decreased in thyroid cancer as compared with adult healthy subjects, and tended to be decreased as compared with thyroid adenoma and Hashimotos thyroiditis. 4) The CD/CDH ratio was significantly increased in thyroid cancer as compared with control subjects, and tended to be increased as compared with thyroid adenoma and Hashimotos thyroiditis. On the basis of (he results, it can be suggested that the immunodysfunction may be due to decreased suppressor,´cytotoxic T cells in thyroid cancer.
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