Humoral immunity in different phases of contact dermatitis

Although cell-mediated hypersensitivity seems to be the main immunological response of man in contact dermatitis, recent studies suggest the potential involvement of antibody-mediated and basophilic cutaneous hypersensitivity in the physiopathology of this affection. The aim of this work was to contribute data intended to clarify the possible involvement of factors traditionally assigned to humoral hypersensitivity in the pathology of contact dermatitis. For this purpose blood levels of the different immunoglobulins were determined in patients with contact dermatitis. Three phases were considered, namely, one in which the patients showed typical clinical signs (acute phase), another in which the lesions had subsided (intercrisis phase) and a third in which the signs had recurred (acute outbreak). All those patients who concomitantly suffered from or had any personal or family antecedents of type I hypersensitivity were excluded from the study. The results found were compared with those obtained for a control gorup consisting of healthy individuals with no atopic antecedents. No significant differences were found between the results obtained in the three phases. However, the IgE levels of the patients were significantly higher than those of the control group, whereas the differences in the IgE, IgA and IgM levels were insignificant.