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CD4+ CD8+ (thymocyte‐like) T lymphocytes present in blood and skin from patients with atopic dermatitis suggest immune dysregulation
Author(s) -
Bang K.,
Lund M.,
Wu K.,
Mogensen S.C.,
ThestrupPedersen K.
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
british journal of dermatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.304
H-Index - 179
eISSN - 1365-2133
pISSN - 0007-0963
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2133.2001.04223.x
Subject(s) - cd8 , immune system , immunology , atopic dermatitis , t lymphocyte , t cell , cytotoxic t cell , inflammation , lymphocyte , immune dysregulation , thymocyte , peripheral blood lymphocyte , biology , medicine , in vitro , biochemistry
Background Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease expressed early in life. Disease development is primarily determined by as yet unknown genetic factors, leading to the accumulation of activated T lymphocytes in the skin. Objectives To investigate the nature of these T cells. Methods T‐cell lines could be established from AD skin biopsies, but not from normal skin or AD peripheral blood, when placed in RPMI 1640 medium with 10% human AB serum, antibiotics, and the T‐lymphocyte growth factors interleukins 2 and 4. The cell lines were subjected to phenotypic analysis using a fluorescence‐activated cell sorter and compared with lymphocytes from AD and normal control peripheral blood. Results T‐cell lines from 22 of 24 consecutive skin biopsies taken from 24 adult patients with AD were established. All cells were T lymphocytes expressing several activation markers. A significant proportion of the lymphocytes had stable expression of a CD4+ CD8+ phenotype (26% ± 6%; mean ± SEM). Such double‐positive T lymphocytes are normally only seen in the thymus and not in the peripheral immune system. CD4+ CD8+ cells in peripheral blood of the patients (12·5% ± 3·3%) were also detected. Conclusions We suggest that a basic pathophysiological change in AD may be a faulty maturation of the T‐lymphocyte system, leading to skin inflammation with CD4+ CD8+ T lymphocytes resembling immature T cells. This is likely to lead to skewing of many immune reactions in the patients.