Objective: A pilot study to evaluate the approach of monitoring immune status as a feasible means of assessing physiological health in longitudinal studies that seek to ascertain changes in patient health status under chiropractic care.

Methods: The study presents findings profiling blood indices and the immune status of 11 novice chiropractic subjects (7 males, 4 females) at baseline, with re-assessments at 3 months and 9 months duration. The New Zealand group was compared to several other non New Zealand healthy populations.

Results: Although significant changes occurred in blood indices and the immune profile in the present study group at 3 and 9 months re-assessments, the study values remained within the reference range for healthy adults. Significant positive correlations were seen for CD3% and CD8% at baseline and 3 months, suggesting a proportional increase or decrease over the range of values. It may be that the positive correlation is a reflection of the hosts’ resistance to viral infection and destruction of virus infected cells. Negative correlations were observed for CD56% and CD20% and CD56% and CD3% at 3 months and 9 months. CD 56% was also negatively correlated with CD8% and CD4% at different sampling periods. The inverse relationship among these lymphocyte subpopulations may reflect a natural balancing or redistribution of the overall lymphocyte subpopulation as individual cell types respond to a variety of immune challenges. The subjects in this pilot study sustained physiological health from the standpoint of maintaining a panel of blood indices and lymphocyte markers within normal reference ranges throughout the 9 months period. Further, the subjects’ blood indices and immune panels were comparable with population findings from other countries and ethnicities.

Conclusion: It is concluded that the approach of monitoring immune status is feasible as a means of assessing physiological health in longitudinal studies that seek to ascertain changes in patient health status.

Key words: Lymphocyte subpopulations, reference ranges, immune response, T lymphocytes, B lymphocytes, NK cells, CD4/CD8 ratio, chiropractic.