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COMPARISON OF DELAYED TYPE HYPERSENSITIVITY AND T SUBSETS IN RANDOM AND HOMOSEXUAL POPULATIONS IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA
Author(s) -
GRIMSLEY G.,
LATTIMORE M.,
DAWKINS R. L.
Publication year - 1984
Publication title -
australian and new zealand journal of medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.596
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1445-5994
pISSN - 0004-8291
DOI - 10.1111/j.1445-5994.1984.tb04271.x
Subject(s) - tuberculin , immunology , medicine , population , delayed hypersensitivity , cell mediated immunity , reactivity (psychology) , immunity , demography , immune system , tuberculosis , environmental health , pathology , alternative medicine , sociology
Random and homosexual populations were tested for delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH) (Multitest) reactivity and T cell subsets. In the random population DTH reactivity was stronger in males irrespective of age. Reactivity in the homosexuals was generally even stronger especially with respect to tuberculin. As a group, male homosexuals had low OKT 4/8 ratios when compared with sex and age matched controls. Analysis of DTH and T cell subset results in the random group showed an association between anergy and low OKT 4/8 ratios. It is concluded that homosexuals demonstrate some alteration of cell mediated immunity and therefore may be at risk of various infections.