T-cell subset analysis by monoclonal antibodies in primary immunodeficiencies.

T-cell subsets have been analysed in 23 cases of primary immunodeficiency with monoclonal antibodies. Functional assays investigating T-cell function--proliferative response to mitogens, antigens, and allogeneic cells, cytotoxicity generated against allogeneic target cells and helper function to pokeweek mitogen-induced immunoglobulin synthesis--were performed in parallel in the same patients. The results enabled us to delineate four groups of patients. The first group consisted of patients in whom marker and function studies show concordant data, with either normal or strongly decreased T-cell number and function. The second group consisted of patients in whom various degrees of functional abnormality coexist with subnormal T-cell number and increased suppressor T-cell proportion. In the third group, we collected all patients who showed functional deficiencies without marker abnormalities. Finally, there was a small group composed of patients whose T-cell pattern was strongly suggestive of abnormal differentiation.