title: High frequency of IL-4-producing CD4+ allergen-specific T lymphocytes in atopic dermatitis lesional skin.
abstract: In atopic dermatitis (AD) hypersensitivity reactions to allergens are commonly observed and are assumed to make a major contribution in the pathomechanism of the disease. It may be expected that allergen-reactive Th cells play a central role in these reactions. In the present study the occurrence and function of allergen-specific T lymphocytes in dermal inflammatory lesions were studied. To this aim panels of randomly cloned CD4+ T cells from lesional skin biopsies of two housedust mite Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Dp)-allergic AD patients were screened for reactivity with Dp allergens. The results were compared with similar tests for Dp reactivity of T-lymphocyte clones (TLC) from the peripheral blood of these patients. In the panels of TLC generated from lesional skin (S-TLC), a considerable number of TLC appeared to be Dp-specific, 47% (n = 17) and 10% (n = 29), respectively. In the panels from the peripheral blood, the percentages of Dp-specific TLC were only 0% (n = 22) and 3% (n = 34), suggesting accumulation or expansion of these T cells in lesional skin. The function of these TLC was studied by assaying the secretion of IL-4 and IFN-gamma, which have been shown to be produced in aberrant ratios by Dp-specific TLC from the peripheral blood of AD patients (Wierenga et al: J Immunol 144:4651, 1990). All Dp-specific S-TLC produced IL-4 in combination with no or low levels of IFN-gamma, whereas many of the non-Dp-specific S-TLC and blood-derived TLC (B-TLC) were observed to produce high levels of IFN-gamma without significant amounts of IL-4. A functional consequence of these cytokine profiles was demonstrated by the finding that TLC producing substantial amounts of IL-4 enhanced expression of the low-affinity Fc receptor for IgE (CD23) on antigen-presenting cells to a greater extent than did IFN-gamma-producing TLC.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Cell Biology and Histology, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: F L
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: van der Heijden
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Wierenga
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Bos
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Kapsenberg
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000485:Allergens / Q000276:immunology; D039741:Antigens, Dermatophagoides; D000944:Antigens, Differentiation, B-Lymphocyte / Q000276:immunology; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D003876:Dermatitis, Atopic / Q000473:pathology*; D000939:Epitopes; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000032:analysis; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000378:metabolism; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000378:metabolism*; D011961:Receptors, Fc / Q000276:immunology; D017455:Receptors, IgE; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens; D039741:Antigens, Dermatophagoides; D000944:Antigens, Differentiation, B-Lymphocyte; D016207:Cytokines; D000939:Epitopes; D011961:Receptors, Fc; D017455:Receptors, IgE; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007073:Immunoglobulin E; D007371:Interferon-gamma