Table 1.

Evaluation of apoptosis in CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T-cell populations using Tdt method

	% CD4+		% CD8+
	−	+	−	+
Acute (A)	12 ± 3*	26 ± 6*	2 ± 1	5 ± 2
Healed (B)	6 ± 2	11 ± 3	2 ± 2	2 ± 1

Frozen PBMC from five VL patients, studied in acute and healed phases of disease, were cultured for 24 hr in medium alone (–) and in the presence of LAg (+) (2 × 10⁷ equivalent promastigotes). Afterwards, cells were treated with appropriate IS3-conjugated antibody (anti-CD4 or anti-CD8) and treated with Tdt-FITC staining. Data are expressed as mean percentage ± SE.

^*P < 0·05: significantly different from healed subjects. Percentage of PCD in five healthy un-stimulated control (CTR) PBMCs: CD4⁺ (4 ± 2); CD8⁺ (2 ± 1). Percentage of CD4⁺ T cells: (A) 35 ± 8; (H) 42 ± 5; (CTR) 44 ± 8. Percentage of CD8⁺ T cells: (A) 30 ± 7; (H) 33 ± 5; (CTR) 34 ± 6.