Author(s)

J. M. Banda^1*, B. O. P. Musa², G. C. Onyemelukwe², S. O. Shittu³, A. A. Babadoko⁴, A. G. Bakari², A. I. Mamman⁴, A. Sarkin-Pawa³, Surajudeen A. Junaid⁵

¹Department of Chemical Pathology and Immunology, Barau DikkoTeaching Hospital, Kaduna State University, Kaduna, Nigeria.
²Department of Medicine, Immunology Unit, Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria, Nigeria.
³Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria.
⁴Department of Haematology and Blood Transfusion Services, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria.
⁵Department of Virology, Federal College of Veterinary and Medical Laboratory Technology, National Veterinary Research Institute, Vom, Nigeria.

Background: Eclampsia, the occurrence of generalized convulsion(s) in association with signs of preeclampsia [PE] (hypertension and proteinuria) in pregnancy has remained a significant public threat in Nigeria, contributing to maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. This study was a comparative cross-sectional study conducted in some selected hospitals in Kaduna State, between April 2014 and November 2015. Subjects and Methods: Blood (3 mls) was collected into an ethylenediaminetetraaccetic acid (EDTA) vacutainer tube from third trimester women diagnosed with eclampsia (EC; n = 38) and healthy pregnant controls (PC; n = 38)—age and parity matched and healthy non-pregnant controls (NPC; n = 38)—age matched. T Cell subpopulations and Complete Blood Count levels were measured by Sysmex, Auto blood analyzer and flow cytometry respectively. Participants with smear positive malaria, seropositive for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), any other clinical infection or refused consent were excluded from this study. Data obtained were analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Post Hoc test. A p-value of less than 0.05 was considered to be significant. Result: Overall, results showed a depressed (mean ± Standard deviation (SD): CD3+ T cell (65.6 ± 15.5%; 1225.5 ± 401.5 cell/μL), CD4+ T cell (36.1 ± 8.7%; 657.1 ± 189.9 cell/μL), and a low CD4/CD8 value in women with EC (1.4 ± 0.5) and PC (1.5 ± 0.3) compared to NPC (1.9 ± 0.6) control (p < 05), while the total white blood cell count, and differential percentage neutrophils count were noted to be elevated among the eclamptic women (9.8 ± 4.9 × 109/L; 70.3 ± 12.0%) compared to PC (6.9 ± 3.6 × 109/L; 64.6 ± 8.1%) and NPC (5.6 ± 2.0 × 109/L; 48.5 ± 10.7%), p < 0.05. Conclusion: Eclampsia was associated with significantly depressed CD3+ and CD4+ T lymphocyte, and increased percentage differential neutrophil counts.

Eclampsia, Preeclampsia, Pregnancy, T Cell Subpopulations

M. Banda, J. , O. P. Musa, B. , C. Onyemelukwe, G. , O. Shittu, S. , A. Babadoko, A. , G. Bakari, A. , I. Mamman, A. , Sarkin-Pawa, A. and A. Junaid, S. (2016) T Lymphocyte Subpopulations in Normal Pregnancies and Those Complicated by Eclampsia in Kaduna State, Nigeria. Open Journal of Immunology, 6, 93-100. doi: 10.4236/oji.2016.63010.