Autologous mixed lymphocyte reaction is reduced in patients with psoriasis

The autologous mixed lymphocyte reaction (auto-MLR) was studied to test the interactions between immunocompetent cells in patients with psoriasis. The auto-MLR in 20 patients with psoriasis was significantly lower than in 16 normal controls. Lower values were found in untreated psoriatic patients than in those in remission following treatment. The values in the latter group were significantly lower than in controls and in six patients with atopic dermatitis in remission. The tendency for an increase in the auto-MLR with a decrease in disease activity was further confirmed in five patients studied before and after treatment. In contrast, the allogeneic lymphocyte reaction (allo-MLR) in psoriatics was similar to that in normal controls.