title: Stimulation of T cells by autologous mononuclear leukocytes and epidermal cells in psoriasis.
abstract: Based on reports suggesting aberrant cell-mediated immunity and altered infiltration of immunocompetent cells into the skin in psoriasis, we studied the stimulation of T cells by autologous non-T mononuclear leukocytes (autologous mixed lymphocyte reaction, AMLR) and by epidermal cells isolated from lesional and clinically uninvolved skin in psoriasis (autologous mixed epidermal cell lymphocyte reaction, AMECLR). Age- and sex-matched individuals served as controls. We found that the AMLR in psoriasis (n = 11) was similar to that in healthy controls (n = 16); furthermore, cell proliferation was alike in the presence of either 5% AB-serum or autologous serum. By contrast, while the AMECLR in healthy controls (n = 9) resembled that in psoriatics employing epidermal cells from univolved skin, epidermal cells from lesional sites (n = 10) induced a significantly higher proliferation of autologous T cells in the AMECLR (P less than 0.01). We conclude that the in vitro stimulation of T cells by non-T mononuclear leukocytes is normal in psoriasis and is not regulated by autologous serum. Lesional psoriatic epidermal cells, however, are more active in stimulating autologous T cell proliferation than cells from univolved psoriatic or normal epidermis.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004817:Epidermis / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D007959:Lymphocyte Culture Test, Mixed; D008297:Male; D011565:Psoriasis / Q000276:immunology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*