T cells and protein nutrition in hospitalized surgical patients.

Percentage and number of T cells in peripheral blood and severe indices of protein nutrition were assessed in a random sample of 51 hospitalized surgical patients. Whole blood counts of the patients' lymphocytes and E rosette tests (after separation of lymphocytes from whole blood on Ficoll-Metrizoate) showed no difference from a control group of well-nourished people attending hospital for minor complaints. In general there was no consistent relationship between the level of protein nutrition and low T cell numbers, except for 5 malnourished patients tested less than 1 week after major surgery. Although a group of 11 patients who fulfilled the criteria for 'malnutrition' had normal T cell numbers, the percentage of T cells was significantly higher and the number of total lymphocytes was significantly lower than in the controls.