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Blood samples of patients with severe respiratory allergic diseases contain increased numbers of T cells bearing surface HLA-DR antigens, indicating the presence of activated T cells. In the same group of patients, MLR3 and MLR4, two monoclonal antibodies (Mab) directed to subsets of activated peripheral T cells, recognize T cell percentages within the normal range. Thus, it seems possible that specialized subsets of activated T cells (HLA-DR⁺/MLR3-MLR4^––) are represented in the peripheral blood of atopic patients. Such cells are lacking in patients after specific imunotherapy. Similar results – an increased percentage of 5/9⁺ T cells in untreated patients and normal counts of 5/9⁺ T cells in treated ones – were obtained in the two groups of patients by using another Mab, 5/9, which serves as a reliable marker of helper T cells in resting peripheral T lymphocytes. These data further support the concept of a T cell imbalance in allergic patients and suggest a possible role of specific immunotherapy in correcting the modification of peripheral T cell abnormalities.

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