文本框: APOPTOSIS AND NECROSIS OF PERIPHERAL BLOOD LYMPHOCYTES IN VIRAL MYOCARDITIS Wang S-Y, Ma P-R Shandong University College of Medicine, Jinan, China Objective: To investigate the relationship between apoptosis and necrosis of peripheral blood lymphocytes in children and murine models with viral myocarditis. Methods: Annexin/PI was used to measure quantitatively the percentage of apoptosis and necrosis in peripheral blood lymphocytes by using flow cytometry. Results: The percentage of apoptosis and necrosis in peripheral blood lymphocytes was much higher in children with viral myocarditis than that in normal control children (P<0.001), and there was a positive correlation between the percentage of apoptosis and necrosis (r=0.81). The similar results were observed in murine myocarditis. Both the percentage of apoptosis and necrosis correlated positively with myocardial histopathological score (r = 0.72 and r = 0.84, respectively). Conclusions: The increasing of lymphocytes apoptosis and necrosis in peripheral blood resulted in the decrease of cell immunologic function. The percentage of apoptosis and necrosis in peripheral blood lymphocytes could estimate the severity of myocardial histopathology. 0895