Distribution of interleukin-2 receptor bearing lymphocytes in the skin. A comparative study of allergic and irritant contact dermatitis, tuberculin reaction and cutaneous T cell lymphoma.
The tissue distribution of T cells and interleukin-2 receptor bearing (Tac+) lymphocytes was studied immunohistochemically in frozen sections of biopsies from inflamed skin. In skin lesions caused by irritant or immunologic stimuli, relatively few (less than 5%) of the total dermal infiltrating T cells were Tac+, but in both types of conditions the Tac+ cells showed a predeliction for the epidermis. In skin lesions from patients with cutaneous T cell lymphoma a relatively high proportion of dermal T lymphocytes were Tac+. Tac+ as well as Tac- T lymphocytes may thus migrate to a tissue secondary to several different stimuli. The demonstration of a non-random distribution of Tac+ lymphocytes in the non-malignant inflammatory conditions in the present study indicate that the epidermis may have a special role in the activation of T lymphocytes.
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D003877:Dermatitis, Contact / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000276:immunology*; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000276:immunology*; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic / Q000276:immunology*; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2; D012867:Skin / Q000276:immunology*; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D014373:Tuberculin
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2; D014373:Tuberculin