title: Nonspecific cell-mediated immunity in patients with epidermodysplasia verruciformis.
abstract: Epidermodysplasia verruciformis (EV) is a rare disease that usually begins in childhood and is characterized by a generalized infection by human papilloma virus (HPV), frequent associations with cutaneous carcinomas, and abnormalities of cell-mediated immunity (CMI). We studied nonspecific CMI in 13 patients with EV by bacterial skin tests, allergic reactions to dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB), measurement of responses to phytohemagglutinin (PHA), and quantification of T lymphocytes and T lymphocytes subsets in peripheral blood. Impairment of CMI was manifested by the cutaneous anergy to a variety of common skin antigens and, by the reduction of the lymphocyte transformation to PHA. There were no correlation between the severity of cases and abnormalities of CMI in our patients, however; the impairment of CMI was lower in cases of short duration, suggesting that the impairment of CMI in EV might reflect a long period of disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology of University of São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Walmar Roncalli
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Pereira de Oliveira
authors.forename: Solange
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Carrasco
authors.forename: Cyro Festa
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Neto
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rady
authors.forename: Stephen K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Tyring
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016516:CD4-CD8 Ratio; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004137:Dinitrochlorobenzene / Q000494:pharmacology; D004819:Epidermodysplasia Verruciformis / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular / Q000502:physiology; D007114:Immunization; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D027383:Papillomaviridae / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology*; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins / Q000494:pharmacology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D035583:Rare Diseases; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D012882:Skin Tests; D014412:Tumor Virus Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D004137:Dinitrochlorobenzene; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins