Interferon-gamma therapy reduces blood leukocyte levels in patients with atopic dermatitis: correlation with clinical improvement.

Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1999. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

Interferon-gamma therapy reduces blood leukocyte levels in patients with atopic dermatitis: correlation with clinical improvement.

Clin Immunol. 1999 Jul;92(1):49-55. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE MED/99343950
Ellis CN; Stevens SR; Blok BK; Taylor RS; Cooper KD; Department of Dermatology, University of Michigan Medical School; and Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109,; USA.

Abstract: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease with abnormalities of both cellular and humoral immunity. Subcutaneous recombinant human interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) provides therapeutic benefit to AD patients. In contrast to expectations, IFN-gamma does not cause a decrease in the elevated levels of circulating IgE levels in AD patients. We sought to determine cellular targets of IFN-gamma treatment that might explain its clinical benefit. Therefore, we evaluated blood leukocyte subsets by multiparameter flow cytometry in AD patients receiving IFN-gamma (n = 10) or placebo (n = 11) therapy compared to untreated normal volunteers (n = 14). Treated patients demonstrated reductions in WBC, eosinophil, and lymphocyte counts. Compared to normals, there was a reduced CD4/CD8 ratio in AD patients among activated, large mononuclear cells that was partially corrected with IFN-gamma treatment. Clinical improvement correlated with reductions in WBC (r = 0.9, P = 0.0003), eosinophil (r = 0.7, P = 0.035) and lymphocyte (r = 0.8, P = 0.013) counts, and with normalization of the CD4/CD8 ratio among large lymphocytes (r = 0.9, P = 0.04). The data indicate two potential modes of action for INF-gamma in AD. One mechanism represents normalization of selected immunologic abnormalities in AD; a second mechanism may be the modest reduction of circulating inflammatory cells. Adequacy of IFN-gamma therapy of AD may depend on bringing about these changes. Copyright 1999 Academic Press.

Keywords: CLINICAL TRIAL JOURNAL ARTICLE MULTICENTER STUDY RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL Adult Antigens, CD20/BLOOD B-Lymphocytes/IMMUNOLOGY CD4-CD8 Ratio Dermatitis, Atopic/*BLOOD/DRUG THERAPY Double-Blind Method Eosinophils/CYTOLOGY Human Interferon Type II/*THERAPEUTIC USE Leukocyte Count/DRUG EFFECTS Leukocytes, Mononuclear/DRUG EFFECTS Lymphocyte Count/DRUG EFFECTS Middle Age Monocytes/DRUG EFFECTS Placebos Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.
991030
A99A0903

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