title: Cutaneous T-cell recruitment in toxic epidermal necrolysis. Further evidence of CD8+ lymphocyte involvement.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) is a life-threatening disease with severe mucocutaneous shedding. Although it is widely accepted that immune mechanisms are at play, the pathophysiology of TEN is still unknown. We studied the blister fluid inflammatory cells in three drug-related cases to further define the suspected T-cell involvement in TEN.
  
  
  METHODS
  A peripheral blood lymphopenia, especially of CD4+ T lymphocytes, was associated with a high lymphocytic cellularity of the blister fluid. In two cases, immunophenotyping of blister fluid lymphocytes showed a predominance of the CD8 phenotype. Furthermore, using two-color flow cytometry in one patient, we could show the predominance of CD8+ CD29+ lymphocytes and CD45RA- negative cells.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings point to a cutaneous recruitment of antigen-primed and cytotoxic T cells in TEN, further supporting the involvement of CD8+ lymphocytes in TEN pathogenesis and its immune mediation.
authors: Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Hospital S João, Porto, Portugal.
authors: O
authors: O
authors: Correia
authors: L
authors: L
authors: Delgado
authors: J P
authors: JP
authors: Ramos
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Resende
authors: J A
authors: JA
authors: Torrinha
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001768:Blister; D005122:Exudates and Transudates / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D013262:Stevens-Johnson Syndrome / Q000276:immunology*; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory