title: Immunopathologic demonstration of MAC387+ UCHL1+ cells in bullous skin diseases.
abstract: Immunopathologic aspects of bullous skin diseases were studied in paraffin sections of thirty-three skin biopsy specimens utilizing monoclonal antibodies directed against histiocytes, helper/inducer T lymphocytes, and Langerhans cells in skin lesions. Laboratory examinations revealed that either more or fewer of the standard number of helper/inducer T lymphocytes (UCHL1+) were observed in the upper dermis in 84.8% of the cases examined, particularly in the various forms of pemphigus; histiocytes (MAC387+) were also found to occur in the upper dermis in 45.5% of the cases and blisters in 27.3% of the cases, particularly in pemphigus erythematosus and dermatitis herpetifomis. In 54.5% of all the cases, both UCHL1+ and MAC387+ cell infiltrates predominated in the upper dermis. These findings suggest that a cell-mediated immune response may also be important in the pathogenesis of bullous skin diseases. It may be possible that antigen from keratinocytes can produce ETAF, and that IL1 activating T lymphocytes and histiocytes also produce IL1 activating T cells, particularly helper/inducer T cells. Such activities would further promote the increase of B cell function and immunoglobulin synthesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing.
authors.forename: M X
authors.initials: MX
authors.lastname: Zou
authors.forename: Q J
authors.initials: QJ
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D003874:Dermatitis Herpetiformis / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D004820:Epidermolysis Bullosa / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D006644:Histiocytes / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D007801:Langerhans Cells / Q000473:pathology*; D008264:Macrophages / Q000473:pathology; D010391:Pemphigoid, Bullous / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D010392:Pemphigus / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D016506:Pemphigus, Benign Familial / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D012867:Skin / Q000473:pathology; D012872:Skin Diseases, Vesiculobullous / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000473:pathology*