OBJECTIVE: To observe the expression of T lymphocyte subsets in peripheral blood of patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) complicated with pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP), and to analyze its correlation with therapeutic effect of compound sulfamethoxazole. METHODS: Data of patients with AIDS complicated with PCP admitted into the hospital from 2018 to 2020 were retrospectively collected. All patients were treated with compound sulfamethoxazole for 3 weeks. After propensity score matching according to 2 ∶ 1, 88 effective patients and 38 ineffective patients were included, a total of 126 cases were set as the observation group; in addition, the data of 63 AIDS patients without PCP admitted into the hospital during the same period were collected and set as the control group. Patients’ medical records were analyzed, and the baseline data and laboratory indicators of the patients were counted. The expression of T lymphocyte subsets (CD3 +, CD4 +, CD8 +, CD4 + / CD8 +) in peripheral blood in patients with AIDS complicated with PCP and its correlation with therapeutic effect of compound sulfamethoxazole were mainly analyzed. RESULTS: The proportion of systemic anti HIV treatment of patients in the control group was the highest, followed by the effective group, and the ineffective group was the lowest, the differences were statistically significant (P<0. 05). The percentages of serum LDH and CD8 + T lymphocytes in the ineffective group were the highest before treatment, followed by the effective group, and the control group was the lowest; the percentage of CD4 + T lymphocytes and CD4 + / CD8 + in the control group were the highest, followed by the effective group, and the ineffective group was the lowest, the differences were statistically significant (P< 0. 05); there was no statistical significant difference in other data and indicators between different groups (P>0. 05). Through Logistic regression analysis, high LDH and high percentage of CD8 + T lymphocytes before treatment were the risk factors for the ineffective treatment of compound sulfamethoxazole in patients with AIDS complicated with PCP (OR>1, P<0. 05), systematic anti HIV treatment and high percentage of CD4 high percentage of CD8 + T lymphocytes before treatment were the risk factors for the ineffective treatment of compound sulfamethoxazole in patients with AIDS complicated with PCP (OR>1, P<0. 05), systematic anti HIV treatment and high percentage of CD4 + T lymphocytes, high CD4 + / CD8 + were its protective factors (OR<1, P<0. 05). The ROC curve was drawn, and the results showed that the AUC of CD4 +, CD8 +, CD4 + / CD8 + in predicting the therapeutic effect of compound sulfamethoxazole in patients with AIDS complicated with PCP were > 0. 70, all had certain prediction value. CONCLUSIONS: CD4 +, CD8 +, CD4 + / CD8 + are abnormally expressed in patients with AIDS complicated with PCP, and are related to the therapeutic effect of compound sulfamethoxazole. T lymphocytes, high CD4 + / CD8 + were its protective factors (OR<1, P<0. 05). The ROC curve was drawn, and the results showed that the AUC of CD4 +, CD8 +, CD4 + / CD8 + in predicting the therapeutic effect of compound sulfamethoxazole in patients with AIDS complicated with PCP were > 0. 70, all had certain prediction value. CONCLUSIONS: CD4 +, CD8 +, CD4 + / CD8 + are abnormally expressed in patients with AIDS complicated with PCP, and are related to the therapeutic effect of compound sulfamethoxazole. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]