ACUTE AND LONG-TERM CHANGES IN T-LYMPHOCYTE SUBSETS IN RESPONSE TO CLINICAL AND SUBCLINICAL MEASLES - A COMMUNITY STUDY FROM RURAL SENEGAL

To investigate the possibility of long-term suppression of T-lymphocyt e subsets, me examined children exposed to measles at home during an e pidemic in rural Senegal, at time of exposure and 1 and 6 months later . The measles case fatality ratio mas 1%. Subclinical measles was comm on among vaccinated children exposed to measles (45%), Both clinical a nd subclinical cases of measles showed a significant rise in absolute CD4 count in the incubation period. In the prodromal phase and the fir st week after the rash, the lymphocyte percentage, the white blood cel l count and the absolute CD4 cell numbers mere signficantly reduced. T here vc as no persistent decrease of absolute CD4 or CD8 numbers at Ir 6 months after exposure, Measles infection was followed by significan t changes in the subset composition, both CD? and CD8 percentages bein g significantly higher in the second month after measles than among no n-seroresponders, These changes were more marked among girls, since th ey had significantly higher CD4 percentages and CD4/CD8 ratios than bo ys in the convalescence phase. In conclusion, measles infection is not associated with a long-term suppression of CD4 + or CD8 + T-lymphocyt es.