ObjectiveTo explore the difference in CD4+CD25+Foxp3+T lymphocytes and their secretion of cytokines transforming growth factorβ1（TGFβ1） and interleukin10 （IL10）among drugresistant tuberculosis (DRTB) patients, nondrugresistant tuberculosis(nonDRTB) patients and healthy control subjects, and evaluate its role in the inhibition of specific cellular immune response.MethodsFlow cytometry was applied to detect the expression levels of peripheral blood CD4+CD25+T lymphocytes and CD4+CD25+Foxp3+T lymphocytes in 30 healthy subjects（control group）, 39 nonDRTB patients（nonDRTB group） and 35 DRTB patients（DRTB group） ; enzymelinked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect TGFβ1 and IL10 levels in peripheral blood in different groups.ResultsCD4+CD25+T and CD4+CD25+Foxp3+T lymphocytes accounted for (17.09±5.43)% and (0.78±0.88)% respectively of total number of CD4+T cells in the peripheral blood of control group, (22.12±3.43)% and (2.79±1.65)% respectively in nonDRTB group, (24.01±5.65)% and (4.51±1.47)% respectively in DRTB group. The percentage of CD25+CD4+T lymphocytes in CD4+T lymphocytes in DRTB group was higher than that of nonDRTB group, but the difference was not significant(P>0.05); the percentage of CD4+CD25+Foxp3+T lymphocytes in CD4+T lymphocytes in DRTB group was significantly higher than control and nonDRTB group (P＜0.05), and levels of TGFβ1(［4.15±1.39］ρ/ng·L-1) and IL10(［872.17±269.75］μg/L) were significantly higher than those of nonDRTB group (［3.03±1.42］ρ/ng·L-1 and ［266.83±57.09］μg/L, respectively) as well as control group (［2.12±0.77］ρ/ng·L-1 and ［105.21±23.56］μg/L, respectively) (P＜0.05).ConclusionCD4+CD25+Foxp3+T lymphocytes may weaken elimination funtion of immune system on Mycobacterium tuberculosis in TB patients,and related to the progress of tuberculosis infection as well as multidrugresistance. TGFβ1 and IL10 may be involved in the inhibition of cellular immunity and have some correlation with the formation and the severity of the DRTB.