Abstract
Systemic administration of cyclosporine A (Cy-A; initial dose 5 or 2.5 mg/kg/day) to patients with severe chronic plaque psoriasis produced marked reductions in psoriasis area and severity index within 4 weeks. The clinical response was accompanied, within 1 week, by progressive reductions in T-cell subpopulations (CD3+ and CD4+) and in numbers of interleukin-2 receptor (IL-2-R)-positive (CD25+) cells within lesional skin. Over the first 4 weeks of treatment, these changes were accompanied by reductions in DR+ cells within the epidermis (minor) and dermis (substantial). In contrast, numbers of epidermal CD1+ cells increased substantially during resolution of the skin lesions. Unlike lesional skin, however, no significant changes in absolute numbers of circulating immunoregulatory T-cell populations, including helper/inducer (CD45R) and suppressor/inducer (CD29W) subsets, quantified by dual immunofluorescence labelling, were detected. Moreover, numbers of blood-borne HLA-DR, IL-2-R and transferrin receptor (CD71) positive lymphocytes were unaffected by Cy-A therapy, nor were any differences detected between psoriatic patients and normal controls using these cell markers. Our data suggest that the immunoregulatory effects of Cy-A in psoriasis are mediated via lesional T lymphocytes and that epidermal CD1+ DR- dendritic cells may play an influential role in the regulation of T-cell function and keratinocyte growth during resolution of the skin lesions.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 559-570 |
Number of pages | 12 |
Journal | Journal of Autoimmunity |
Volume | 3 |
Issue number | 5 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 1 Oct 1990 |
Keywords
- Adult
- Aged
- Antibodies, Monoclonal
- Antigens, Differentiation
- Autoimmune Diseases
- Cyclosporins
- Female
- Flow Cytometry
- Humans
- Immunohistochemistry
- Immunophenotyping
- Langerhans Cells
- Lymphocyte Activation
- Male
- Middle Aged
- Psoriasis
- Skin
- T-Lymphocyte Subsets
- T-Lymphocytes