Evaluation of early recognition of viral infections in man

The potential of Lymphocyte Specific Gravity Distribution (LSGD) as a non-specific procedure for early diagnosis of viral disease in astronauts is considered. Results of experiments and a literature search show that several virus diseases result in distinctive changes in the specific gravity distribution of peripheral blood lymphocytes as a result of disease process and associated immune response. A tentative model is proposed which relates the shape of LSGD to the identity of subpopulations of peripheral lymphocytes in a preclinical viral disease situation.