IMMUNOLOGICAL STATUS OF A CHILD IN WHOM THE GLANDULE THYMUS WAS REMOVED 72

Background: The fatal outcome of mice newborns after gl. thymus removal has been established. However, there is little data about postresection gl. thymus consequences in human newborns.

Objective: The estimation of a two year old patient, who had gl. thymus completely removed when he was 21 days old.

Subject: The newborn was operated on for suspected of neuroblastoma mediastini, which was later histologically recognised as hyperplastic gl. thymus. He had also some genetic disorders as Pierre-Robin anomaly and multiple minor dysplasias.

Method: the patient was clinically observed and his immunological status assayed by flow cytometric method.

Results: Within a period of 2 years the child suffered from the following: meningitis, aspiration pneumonia, otitis catarralis, bronchopneumonia, bronchitis and seven episodes of common upper respiratory tract infection. the patient's physical development at 2 years of age was not satisfactory. He was myasthenic and his motor development was delayed. Electromyography did not show neuromuscular disease. His mental development was almost normal. T system immunological data are shown below:Table

Table 1

Conclusion: Repetitive assay of immunological status of our patient showed significant scarcity of T system, especially CD₄ cells. However, it seems that other T cells (CD₁₆₊₅₆) and CD₁₉ (B system) cells still compensate of and the patient with removed gl. thymus can survive.