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IMMUNE MECHANISMS IN ATOPIC DERMATITIS: STUDIES AND HYPOTHESIS
Author(s) -
Beran D.,
Kossard S.,
Freeman S.,
Vasak E.,
Paver K.,
Penny R.
Publication year - 1986
Publication title -
australasian journal of dermatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.67
H-Index - 53
eISSN - 1440-0960
pISSN - 0004-8380
DOI - 10.1111/j.1440-0960.1986.tb00305.x
Subject(s) - dermis , pathogenesis , immunology , atopic dermatitis , medicine , immune system , atopy , immunoperoxidase , cytotoxic t cell , flow cytometry , epidermis (zoology) , t lymphocyte , t cell , immunoglobulin e , pathology , immunopathology , biology , antibody , in vitro , monoclonal antibody , biochemistry , anatomy
S ummary The pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis remains uncertain. The aim of this study was to correlate blood and skin findings with respect to analysis of immunoregulatory T cells in 18 patients with severe atopic dermatitis. Circulating T lymphocytes were characterised by flow cytometry, and in situ infiltrates of acute skin lesions identified by the immunoperoxidase technique. Analysis of peripheral blood T lymphocyte sub‐sets failed to reveal any difference from normal controls. Skin infiltrates were strongly positive for T11 – the pan T lymphocyte marker. The majority of these cells both in the dermis and epidermis were of the T4 helper‐inducer sub‐set, while a smaller proportion of cells were of the T8 suppressor‐ cytotoxic T cell sub‐set. T6 positive Langerhans cells were markedly increased in the dermis of affected skin, compared with normal skin. The finding of increased numbers of helper‐inducer T lymphocytes' in association with increased numbers of Langerhans cells, which function as antigen presenting cells, suggests a strong immunological mechanism in disease pathogenesis, and may yield knowledge both with respect to origin of skin damage and elevation of IgE.