title: Characterization of the dermal infiltrate in human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients with psoriasis.
abstract: We investigated the dermal inflammatory cell infiltrates of psoriatic lesions from nine human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients and nine age-, sex-, and site-matched control specimens. The study was retrospective and observer blinded. T lymphocytes were quantitated using UCHL-1, a pan-T-cell monoclonal antibody, and plasma cell number was estimated in hematoxylin-eosin-stained sections. Differences in both variables reached statistical significance. There were fewer T cells and the number of plasma cells was significantly higher in specimens from the human immunodeficiency virus-positive individuals in comparison with control specimens. As plasma cells are readily identified on hematoxylin-eosin-stained sections, their presence in skin biopsy specimens from psoriatic leisons should arouse suspicion of human immunodeficiency virus infection. The depletion of helper/inducer T lymphocytes by the human immunodeficiency virus may promote the presence of plasma cells in cutaneous inflammatory infiltrates.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Md.
authors.forename: T D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Horn
authors.forename: G Z
authors.initials: GZ
authors.lastname: Herzberg
authors.forename: A F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Hood
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications*; D006679:HIV Seropositivity; D006801:Humans; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010950:Plasma Cells / Q000473:pathology; D011565:Psoriasis / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D012867:Skin / Q000473:pathology*; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000473:pathology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000473:pathology