Objective The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of flow cytometry on peripheral blood T cell subsets in patients with malignant lymphoma and its relationship with clinicopathological and tumor types.Methods Ninety-eight patients with malignant lymphoma treated in our hospital from August 2014 to September 2016 were selected as the study group.Ninety-eight healthy subjects were selected as the control group.The peripheral blood T cell subsets(CD3+,CD4+,CD8+,CD4+/CD8+)were detected in patients and healthy controls by flow cytometry.Results The levels of CD3+ and CD4+/CD8+ in the study group were(55.63±11.25)and(1.32±0.62),respectively,which were significantly lower than those(68.96±12.63)and(1.59±0.59)of the control group(P<0.05).The levels of CD4+ and CD8+ were(33.67±8.14)and(26.02±4.67),respectively in the study group,were no difference from the control group(34.12±8.33)and(25.67±4.53)(P>0.05).The levels of CD3+ and CD4+/CD8+ in patients with Hodgkin's lymphoma were(54.63±11.36),(1.22±0.65),respectively,and(55.52±12.02),(1.34±0.71)for non-hodgkin lymphoma.They were significantly decreoseg in the control group(68.96±12.63 for CD3+ and 1.59±0.59 for CD4+/CD8+)(P<0.05).The level of CD4+ and CD8+were no difference amoupst Hodgkin's lymphoma(33.78±8.23 for CD4+ and 25.74±4.88 for CD8+),non-Hodgkin's lymphoma(25.74±4.88 for CD4+ and 33.62±8.74 for CD8+)and control group(34.12±8.33 for CD4+ and 25.67±4.53 for CD8+)(P>0.05).The levels of CD3+,CD4+ and CD4+/CD8+ in patients with Ⅲ ~Ⅳ stage malignant lymphoma were(52.66±12.47),(28.25±6.32)and(1.30±0.62),respectively,which were significantly lower than those(68.96±12.63),(34.12±8.33)and(1.59±0.59)in the control group(P<0.05).The level of CD3+ in patients with phase I-II malignant lymphoma(58.63±11.85)was significantly lower than that in the control group(68.96±12.63)(P<0.05).The level of CD8+ in patients with phase I-II malignant lymphoma(29.63±3.57)was significantly higher than that in the control group(25.67±4.53)(P<0.05).Conclusion The detection of peripheral blood T cell subsets by flow cytometry can be used as an important methods to diagnose the disease,staging and immune status of patients with malignant lymphoma,which has high application value.