[Selected parameters of the cellular and humoral immunity in atopic dermatitis. Relationship to the severity of the disease].
Despite the great progress, our understanding of the pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis (AD) is still incomplete. In particular, the clinical importance of various changes of the immune system parameters is unclear. Accordingly we have undertaken the study to compare selected parameters of cellular and humoral immunity between AD subjects (n = 26) and healthy controls (n = 10). These parameters included immunoglobulin levels (IgE in particular), neutrophil respiratory, oxygen burst, peripheral blood lymphocyte phenotype and response to mitogens. We also analysed the relationship between these parameters and clinical severity of skin lesions.


RESULTS
Mean total immunoglobulin E levels were very significantly increased in the AD group (1563 +/- 459 vs 35.5 +/- 12.1 IU/ml; p = 0.001). Simultaneously total serum IgE levels varied extensively between individual subjects with AD and were significantly correlated to clinical severity of the disease (Rs = 0.44; p = 0.02). Atopic dermatitis was also associated with the increase in the number of CD4+ and simultaneous decrease in the CD8+ lymphocytes causing statistically significant difference in CD4:CD8 ratio compared to the control group. We also observed changes of proliferation indices to phytohaemagglutinin (decrease) and increase of responses to anti CD3 mAb (OKT-3) and staphylococcal enterotoxin B. None of these immune parameters however, appeared to be statistically correlated to clinical status.


CONCLUSIONS
We find that atopic dermatitis is associated with significant changes of several important indices of cellular and humoral immunity including increased IgE levels and altered peripheral lymphocyte proliferation capacity and phenotype. Change of total IgE levels appears to be the most important from clinical point of view.
Adamek-Guzik
T
T
Katedra i Klinika Chorób Wewnetrznych i Medycyny Wsi Collegium Medicum, Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego, Kraków. mmtguzik@cyf-kr.edu.pl
Guzik
T J
TJ
Bzowska
M
M
Czerniawska-Mysik
G
G
Szmyd
D
D
Miedzobrodzki
J
J
Pryjma
J
J
D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000097:blood*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D016516:CD4-CD8 Ratio; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003876:Dermatitis, Atopic / Q000276:immunology*; D004768:Enterotoxins / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood*; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D008934:Mitogens / Q000494:pharmacology; D016853:Muromonab-CD3 / Q000494:pharmacology; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000378:metabolism*; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D010641:Phenotype; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins / Q000494:pharmacology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D018089:Superantigens / Q000494:pharmacology
D015703:Antigens, CD; D015415:Biomarkers; D004768:Enterotoxins; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D008934:Mitogens; D016853:Muromonab-CD3; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins; D018089:Superantigens; D007073:Immunoglobulin E; C031818:enterotoxin B, staphylococcal