Background:
A number of studies exist demonstrating the increased expression of type 2 cytokines and decreased capacity to produce interferon-gamma (ifn-gamma) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (pbmcs) of patients with atopic dermatitis (ad).
Objectives:
To clarify the results of recent studies concerning the role of interleukin (il)-4 and il-13 in pbmcs of ad patients, we analysed the activation status of lymphocyte subpopulations.
Methods:
We measured the intracellular expression and serum levels of certain type 1 and type 2 cytokines, using cell surface and intracellular cytokine staining, flow cytometry and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay techniques.
Results:
The frequency of il-10 and il-13 producing cd4+ and cd8+ t cells was significantly higher in patients with ad, while the frequency of ifn-gamma secreting helper and cytotoxic t cells was significantly lower in patients with ad than in control subjects. the serum levels of il-10 and il-13 were also significantly increased. there were no significant differences observed between the experimental groups in the frequency of il-4 producing cd4+ and cd8+ cells.
Conclusions:
This study demonstrates a type 2 cytokine production in the cd4+ and cd8+ t cells of ad patients, which is characterized by an elevated il-13, but not by il-4 secretion, and by an increased level of the immunoregulatory il-10, which can contribute to a decrease in ifn-gamma expression.