Prealbumin as a hapten carrier protein in certain varieties of dermatitis

A significant decrease of serum prealbumin levels and an increased proportion of prealbumin bearing lymphocytes in peripheral blood have been found in patients of hapten-induced diseases. Prealbumin deposition in the vessel walls, and/or prealbumin positive cells (granulocytes, lymphocytes, macrophages) in the dermis have been observed in patients with proved drug allergy as well as allergic contact dermatitis using immunofluorescence technique. The eluates from membrane of lymphocytes of patients with drug allergy contained a mitogenic substance, probably antigen and sometimes prealbumin as well. These results also support the earlier suggested hypothesis that the prealbumin may act as a hapten carrier protein.