T-regulatory cells in severe atopic dermatitis: alterations related to cytokines and other lymphocyte subpopulations

The changes in lymphocyte subpopulations in atopic dermatitis (AD) concern also T-regulatory cells. We investigated the expression of various surface receptors on CD3 + CD4 + CD25 high FoxP3 + T-regulatory cells and the activation CD28 + receptor and the inhibitory CD152 + receptor on helper/inducer as well as cytotoxic/suppressor T cells. Peripheral blood lymphocytes of 15 AD patients and 20 healthy subjects were analyzed by flow cytometry using monoclonal antibodies. The concentrations of IL-6, IL-10 and TGF-β were determined in the serum and the supernatant of ConA-stimulated CD4 + lymphocytes. In AD patients the percentage of CD4 + CD25 high FoxP3 + as well as CD3 + CD8 + cells increased, which positively correlated with SCORAD index ( r = 0.55, p = 0.03). The concentrations of IL-10 in the CD4 + lymphocyte culture supernatants and the concentrations of TGF-β in the sera and the supernatant negatively correlated with the severity of AD ( p