Skip to main content
PMC home page
Immunology logoLink to Immunology
. 1995 Nov;86(3):422–426.

Production of type-1 and type-2 cytokines by peripheral blood mononuclear cells of psoriatic patients.

N Mozzanica 1, A Cattaneo 1, D Trabattoni 1, A F Finzi 1, E Schmitt 1, E Ferrario 1, M Clerici 1, G Vignati 1, M L Villa 1
PMCID: PMC1383946  PMID: 8550080

Abstract

We investigated the function of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) in 16 patients with active psoriasis, in 15 patients with static psoriasis and in 27 healthy volunteers, by examining in vitro proliferation and antigen- and mitogen-stimulated production of interleukin-2 (IL-2) and IL-4. Plasma levels of the neuropeptide substance P were also determined. Defective alloantigen (ALLO)- and phytohaemagglutinin (PHA)-stimulated IL-2 production was detected in 42% and in 45% of psoriatic patients, respectively. The number of defective IL-2 responders was higher in static (60%) than in active (25%) psoriasis. The reduction of IL-2 responses in the former group was associated with an increase of IL-4 production. Thus PBMC of 66% of patients with static psoriasis but none of the patients with active psoriasis produced elevated amounts of PHA-stimulated IL-4. Variations of plasma substance P levels followed the same pattern of IL-4, being higher in static than in active psoriasis. These observations suggest a co-ordinated action of IL-4 and substance P as modulators of the clinical course of psoriasis. Our data show a possible correlation between the clinical evolution of psoriasis and the production of type-1 and type-2 cytokines, suggesting that the former may have a prominent role in the activation of psoriasis, while the latter may play a protective role.

Full text

PDF
422

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Baadsgaard O., Gupta A. K., Taylor R. S., Ellis C. N., Voorhees J. J., Cooper K. D. Psoriatic epidermal cells demonstrate increased numbers and function of non-Langerhans antigen-presenting cells. J Invest Dermatol. 1989 Feb;92(2):190–195. doi: 10.1111/1523-1747.ep12276718. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Baker B. S., Fry L. The immunology of psoriasis. Br J Dermatol. 1992 Jan;126(1):1–9. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2133.1992.tb08394.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Barker J. N., Karabin G. D., Stoof T. J., Sarma V. J., Dixit V. M., Nickoloff B. J. Detection of interferon-gamma mRNA in psoriatic epidermis by polymerase chain reaction. J Dermatol Sci. 1991 Mar;2(2):106–111. doi: 10.1016/0923-1811(91)90019-t. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Clerici M., Shearer G. M. The Th1-Th2 hypothesis of HIV infection: new insights. Immunol Today. 1994 Dec;15(12):575–581. doi: 10.1016/0167-5699(94)90220-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Farber E. M., Nickoloff B. J., Recht B., Fraki J. E. Stress, symmetry, and psoriasis: possible role of neuropeptides. J Am Acad Dermatol. 1986 Feb;14(2 Pt 1):305–311. doi: 10.1016/s0190-9622(86)70034-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Guilhou J. J., Clot J., Meynadier J. T cell defect in psoriasis: further studies on membrane markers and T cell functions from 60 patients. Arch Dermatol Res. 1977 Dec 12;260(2):163–166. doi: 10.1007/BF00561122. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Holzer P. Local effector functions of capsaicin-sensitive sensory nerve endings: involvement of tachykinins, calcitonin gene-related peptide and other neuropeptides. Neuroscience. 1988 Mar;24(3):739–768. doi: 10.1016/0306-4522(88)90064-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Krueger G. G., Hill H. R., Jederberg W. W. Inflammatory and immune cell function in psoriasis--a subtle disorder I. In vivo and in vitro survey. J Invest Dermatol. 1978 Sep;71(3):189–194. doi: 10.1111/1523-1747.ep12547129. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Krueger J. G., Krane J. F., Carter D. M., Gottlieb A. B. Role of growth factors, cytokines, and their receptors in the pathogenesis of psoriasis. J Invest Dermatol. 1990 Jun;94(6 Suppl):135S–140S. doi: 10.1111/1523-1747.ep12876121. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Lee R. E., Gaspari A. A., Lotze M. T., Chang A. E., Rosenberg S. A. Interleukin 2 and psoriasis. Arch Dermatol. 1988 Dec;124(12):1811–1815. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Lotz M., Vaughan J. H., Carson D. A. Effect of neuropeptides on production of inflammatory cytokines by human monocytes. Science. 1988 Sep 2;241(4870):1218–1221. doi: 10.1126/science.2457950. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Mosmann T. R., Coffman R. L. TH1 and TH2 cells: different patterns of lymphokine secretion lead to different functional properties. Annu Rev Immunol. 1989;7:145–173. doi: 10.1146/annurev.iy.07.040189.001045. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Obalek S., Haftek M., Sliński W. Immunological studies in psoriasis. The quantitative evaluation of cell-mediated immunity in patients with psoriasis by experimental sensitization to 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene. Dermatologica. 1977;155(1):13–25. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Placek W., Haftek M., Thivolet J. Sequence of changes in psoriatic epidermis. Immunocompetent cell redistribution precedes altered expression of keratinocyte differentiation markers. Acta Derm Venereol. 1988;68(5):369–377. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Russell T. J., Schultes L. M., Kuban D. J. Histocompatibility (HL-A) antigens associated with psoriasis. N Engl J Med. 1972 Oct 12;287(15):738–740. doi: 10.1056/NEJM197210122871503. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Shearer G. M., Bernstein D. C., Tung K. S., Via C. S., Redfield R., Salahuddin S. Z., Gallo R. C. A model for the selective loss of major histocompatibility complex self-restricted T cell immune responses during the development of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). J Immunol. 1986 Oct 15;137(8):2514–2521. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Stanisz A. M., Befus D., Bienenstock J. Differential effects of vasoactive intestinal peptide, substance P, and somatostatin on immunoglobulin synthesis and proliferations by lymphocytes from Peyer's patches, mesenteric lymph nodes, and spleen. J Immunol. 1986 Jan;136(1):152–156. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Strange P., Cooper K. D., Hansen E. R., Fisher G., Larsen J. K., Fox D., Krag C., Voorhees J. J., Baadsgaard O. T-lymphocyte clones initiated from lesional psoriatic skin release growth factors that induce keratinocyte proliferation. J Invest Dermatol. 1993 Nov;101(5):695–700. doi: 10.1111/1523-1747.ep12371678. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Uchiyama T., Broder S., Waldmann T. A. A monoclonal antibody (anti-Tac) reactive with activated and functionally mature human T cells. I. Production of anti-Tac monoclonal antibody and distribution of Tac (+) cells. J Immunol. 1981 Apr;126(4):1393–1397. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Uyemura K., Yamamura M., Fivenson D. F., Modlin R. L., Nickoloff B. J. The cytokine network in lesional and lesion-free psoriatic skin is characterized by a T-helper type 1 cell-mediated response. J Invest Dermatol. 1993 Nov;101(5):701–705. doi: 10.1111/1523-1747.ep12371679. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Via C. S., Tsokos G. C., Stocks N. I., Clerici M., Shearer G. M. Human in vitro allogeneic responses. Demonstration of three pathways of T helper cell activation. J Immunol. 1990 Apr 1;144(7):2524–2528. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. White S. H., Newcomer V. D., Mickey M. R., Terasaki P. I. Disturbance of HL-A antigen frequency in Psoriasis. N Engl J Med. 1972 Oct 12;287(15):740–743. doi: 10.1056/NEJM197210122871504. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Zarrabeitia M. T., Fariñas M. C., Rodríguez-Valverde V., Riancho J. A., Llaca H. F. T and B cell function in psoriasis and psoriatic arthropathy. Allergol Immunopathol (Madr) 1989 May-Jun;17(3):155–159. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Immunology are provided here courtesy of British Society for Immunology

RESOURCES