Distribution of T lymphocyte Subpopulations in Psoriatic Skin.
- Author:
Kyung Jeh SUNG
;
Hyun Soo KIM
;
Jung Wha SUH
;
Jee Ho CHOI
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Psoriasis;
CD8+ T lymphocytes;
ICAM-1;
HLA-DR
- MeSH:
Antibodies;
Cytokines;
Dermis;
Endothelial Cells;
Epidermis;
Frozen Sections;
HLA-DR Antigens;
Humans;
Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1;
Keratinocytes;
Lymphocyte Subsets*;
Lymphocytes*;
Microvessels;
Peroxidase;
Psoriasis;
Skin*;
T-Lymphocytes
- From:Korean Journal of Dermatology
1997;35(3):435-442
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
BACKGROUND: Although the main features of psoriasis consist of abnormal epidermal proliferation and T cell infiltration, which of these is the initial abnormality has been a longstanding unresolved question. Recently there has been definite evidence that activated T cells produce the cytokines that induce keratinocyte abnormalities. OBJECTIVE: We investigated the distributions and relative numbers of T lymphocyte subpopulations, that is, CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, to verify the more important T cell subtype and its infiltrating site in the formation of psoriatic lesions. METHODS: Paired psoriatic lesional and non-lesional skin tissues were obtained from eight typical psoriatic patients. Immunohistochemical staining was done on the frozen sections using a labelled streptavidin-biotin peroxidase complex method with DAKO LSAB kit. The primary antibodies used in this study were monoclonal or polyclonal antibodies against CD3, CD4, CD8, HLA-DR, and ICAM-1. RESULTS: In lesional psoriatic skin, the epidermis was mainly infiltrated by CD8+ T cells. There were little or no T cells in non-lesional epidermis. In both lesional and non-lesional dermis, CD4+ T cells were the main ones. In lesional skin, anti-ICAM-1 antibody positively stained diffusely in the endothelial cells of papillary and subpapillary plexuses and focally in epidermal keratinocytes, but in non-lesional skin only the endothelial cells in the subpapillary plexus were stained. There were many HLA-DR+T lymphocytes in lesional and non-lesional dermis. In the epidermis, HLA DR was detected only in lesional keratinocytes and T lymphocytes. CONCLUSION: These results suggest (1) participation of activated epidermal CD8+ T lymphocytes in the formation of psoriatic plaques, and (2) a pathogenetic role of ICAM-1 expression on papillary microvessels.
