CHARACTERIZATION OF INFILTRATING CD4-DERMATITIS USING CD45R AND CD29 MONOCLONAL-ANTIBODIES( CELLS IN ATOPIC)

Tissue sections from the skin of patients with atopic dermatitis were investigated by means of hematoxylin-eosin staining, the avidin-biotin -peroxidase complex method, and double-labeling immunofluorescence usi ng monoclonal antibodies to cell-surface antigens, including CD45R and CD29. In skin lesions of patients with atopic dermatitis, the epiderm is was spongiotic and hyperplastic with little cellular infiltrate. Pe rivascular dermal infiltrate was significant and consisted primarily o f mononuclear cells. The majority of the infiltrating mononuclear cell s in the skin of patients with atopic dermatitis were CD4+ cells. Lang erhans' cells were also increased in number. Furthermore, we investiga ted the subsets in the infiltrating CD4+ cells by double-labeling immu nofluorescence using CD45R and CD29 monoclonal antibodies. Among the i nfiltrating CD4+ cells, CD4+CD29+ cells were dominant and CD4+CD45R+ c ells were also present.