Y. Kusunoki et al., INCREASED FREQUENCY OF CD4(-)8(-) T-CELLS BEARING T-CELL RECEPTOR ALPHA-BETA-CHAINS IN PERIPHERAL-BLOOD OF ATOMIC-BOMB SURVIVORS EXPOSED TOHIGH-DOSES, Radiation research, 139(1), 1994, pp. 67-72
A rare T-cell subpopulation, CD4(-)8(-) alpha beta T cells, may be dif
ferentiated through a pathway (or pathways) different from the pathway
(s) of conventional CD4(+) or CD8(+) T cells. In the present study, th
e frequencies of CD4(-)8(-) T cells in peripheral-blood (YP T cells in
409 atomic bomb survivors (160 estimated to have been exposed to 1.5
Gy or more and 249 controls) were determined to investigate late effec
ts of radiation on the composition of human T-cell subpopulations. The
frequency of CD4(-)8(-) alpha beta T-cell decreased significantly wit
h the subject's age and was higher in females than males. A significan
t increase in the frequency was found in the survivors exposed to more
than 1.5 Gy, suggesting that the previous radiation exposure altered
differentiation and development of T cells.