Intracellular interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) production in normal children and children with atopic dermatitis.
A reduction in the in vitro production of IFN-gamma has been consistently described in atopic dermatitis (AD). Whether this reduction is due to a decrease in the population of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) producing IFN-gamma or reduced IFN-gamma production per cell, or a combination of both is not clear. We have examined the intracellular production of IFN-gamma in children with AD and in healthy non-atopic controls. As Staphylococcus aureus colonization is a feature of childhood AD, and is postulated to contribute to the cutaneous inflammation in atopic dermatitis, S. aureus and Staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB) were used to activate PBMC. Stimulated PBMC from subjects with AD had significantly fewer IFN-gamma-containing cells in response to SEB (P < 0.001) and S. aureus (P < 0.01) than normal non-atopic children. In addition, SEB-stimulated PBMC from children with AD had less IFN-gamma per cell than normal non-atopic children (P < 0.01). Reduction in the proportion of cells containing IFN-gamma was seen in CD4+, CD8+ and natural killer (NK) cells in PBMC from children with AD. Our findings indicate that reduced production of IFN-gamma observed in childhood AD is due to both a decrease in the number of IFN-gamma-producing cells and a reduced amount of IFN-gamma production per cell. Furthermore, we found that this defect was not confined to CD4+ T cells, suggesting a more generalized defect in IFN-gamma production in childhood AD.
Campbell
D E
DE
Department of Immunology, Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia.
Fryga
A S
AS
Bol
S
S
Kemp
A S
AS
D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003876:Dermatitis, Atopic / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology*; D004768:Enterotoxins / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000378:metabolism; D007424:Intracellular Fluid / Q000276:immunology; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000276:immunology; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000276:immunology / Q000472:pathogenicity; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology
D004768:Enterotoxins; C031818:enterotoxin B, staphylococcal; D007371:Interferon-gamma