The aim of our study was to assess the effects of cigarette smoking on sele
cted indices of immunity. The study comprised 116 men divided into three gr
oups: 37 subjects smoking for not more than 10 yr, 39 subjects smoking for
more than 10 yr, and control group consisting of 40 age-matched men who nev
er used to smoke. The following parameters were studied: total number of ly
mphocytes, B-cells, T-cells subpopulations: (CD3 +)T-, (CD4 +)T-helper, (CD
8 +)T-cytotoxic and (CD16 +)natural killer (NK)-cells and serum concentrati
on of immunoglobulins A, D, G and M, C3c and C4 complement components, acut
e phase proteins: alpha (1)-acid glycoprotein, haptoglobin, ceruloplasmin a
nd lysozyme. The (CD4 +)/(CD8 +) ratio was also calculated. The suppressive
effect of tobacco smoke on human immunity was seen as decreased serum conc
entration of immunoglobulins and lysozyme, especially in men smoking for mo
re than 10 yr, decreased (CD16 + )NK-cells absolute number and elevated pop
ulation of (CD8 +) T-cytotoxic lymphocytes entailing a decrease in CD4 + /C
D8 + ratio. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.