To explore the change of immune function and the effect of Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) on lymphocyte subsets in children with infantile spasm.

Twenty-five cases with newly diagnosed infantile spasm were gathered from November 2012 to September 2014, while another twenty-one healthy cases were chosen as normal control group.ACTH was administered for 4 weeks.Sera was sampled for analyses of the counts of CD3⁺ , CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ before and after 4 weeks of treatment, and the results were compared with those of the controls.

Compared to the controls, the count of CD3⁺ T cell in patients demonstrated significant decreasement [patients: (64.2±7.5)%, controls: (70.2±8.4)%, t=2.53%, P<0.05]. The count of CD4⁺ T cell in patients demonstrated significant reduction [patients: (38.7±4.8)%, controls: (46.8±5.7)%, t=5.15, P<0.05]. The count of CD8⁺ T cell had no statistically significant differences between patients and controls [patients: (35.6±5.7)%, controls: (34.4±4.9)%, t=0.77, P>0.05]. The ratio of CD4⁺ /CD8⁺ T cell in patients demonstrated significant decrease [patients: 1.4±0.3, controls: 1.7±0.5, t=2.41, P<0.05]. The count of CD3⁺ T cell in patients had no statistically significant differences before and after treatment [before treatment: (64.2±7.5)%, after treatment: (64.9±8.6)%, t=0.32, P>0.05]. The count of CD4⁺ T cell in patients had no statistically significant differences before and after treatment [before treatment: (38.7±4.8)%, after treatment: (39.2±4.6)%, t=0.41, P>0.05]. The count of CD8⁺ T cell in patients had no statistically significant differences before and after treatment (before treatment: (35.6±5.7)%, after treatment: (35.9±5.9)%, t=0.21, P>0.05). The ratio of CD4⁺ /CD8⁺ T cell in patients had no statistically significant differences before and after treatment (before treatment: 1.4±0.3, after treatment: 1.5±0.5, t=0.80, P>0.05).

Children with infantile spasm have immunological alterations, and ACTH has no effect on lymphocyte subsets.ACTH may not regulate the cellular immune function of children with infantile spasm.