ACTIVE PSORIASIS AND PROFOUND CD4(+) LYMPHOCYTOPENIA

We report the case of a patient with a long-standing history of widesp read chronic plaque psoriasis, who was recently found to have a profou nd CD4(+) lymphocytopenia. He is human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) ne gative. His psoriasis remains active and widespread, and he has had 60 cutaneous malignancies, including many squamous cell carcinomas, exci sed over the last 10 years. In the past he has had numerous cutaneous viral warts, Despite a low peripheral blood CD4(+) T-cell count, simil ar numbers of activated T cells, identified by double labelling for CD 4 and HLA-DR antigens, were found in the epidermis of our patient as o ther individuals with psoriasis. Thus, there appear to be sufficient a ctivated CD4(+) T cells in our patient's psoriatic plaques to maintain the psoriatic process.