Cell typing of the scabetic lesion and its clinical correlation

Scabies is a pruritic dermatosis due to infestation by a mite that stimulates both humoral and cellular immune responses causing cutaneous lesions as well as pruritus. Changes in immune response pattern with treatment are associated with improvement in symptoms and clinical cure. In this study, we analysed the cellular infiltrate types and patterns in lesions of Scabies. Treated patients were divided into 2 groups as those with and without pruritus. In the pre-treatment cases, there was a high incidence of T3, T4, T6 and T8 infiltration in the lesions, with T4 greater than T8. Following treatment, it was noted that T8 density was significantly increased in patients who had resolution of symptoms. It can therefore be concluded that T4 cell dominance is the cause of persistant itching and T8 increase leads to improvement in the pruritus.