RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Immunohistological analysis of immune cells in blistering skin lesions
JF Journal of Clinical Pathology
JO J Clin Pathol
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and Association of Clinical Pathologists
SP 62
OP 71
DO 10.1136/jcp.2006.037010
VO 60
IS 1
A1 Hussein, Mahmoud R
A1 Ali, Fayed Mahammad Nagy
A1 Omar, Abd-Elhady M M
YR 2007
UL http://jcp.bmj.com/content/60/1/62.abstract
AB Background: Bullous skin lesions are characterised by the presence of intraepidermal or subepidermal bullae. Although inflammatory cell infiltrate is a constant feature in these lesions, their immunophenotypic characterisation is still incomplete. Aim: To determine whether the development of bullous skin diseases is associated with changes in the inflammatory cell infiltrate. Materials and methods: 34 cases representing lesions with both intraepidermal and subepidermal bullae were examined using immunoperoxidase staining methods and antibodies targeting antigens for histiocytes (CD68), B cells (CD20+), T cells (CD3+), T cells with cytotoxic potential (T cell intracellular associated antigen, TIA1+) and activity (granzyme B, GRB+). The adjacent normal skin (lesions) and an additional five cases of normal skin were also examined (controls). Results: The transition from normal skin to lesional skin (lesions with intraepidermal and subepidermal bullae) was associated with a significant increase (p⩽0.05) in the density of total inflammatory cell infiltrate, CD68+ cells, CD3+ T lymphocytes, CD20+ B lymphocytes, TIA1+-resting cytotoxic T cells and GRB+ T cells with cytotoxic activity. Conclusions: The increase in inflammatory cell infiltrate during the transition from normal to lesional skin may reflect the presence of an increased antigenicity of the lesional cells or a response to some basement membrane components. CD68+ and CD3+ cells, especially the resting cytotoxic ones, achieved numerical dominance in these lesions. Cell-mediated immunity seems to have critical role in the development of these lesions.