Humoral and cellular immunity in children with active and quiescent atopic dermatitis

Serum immunoglobulins (IgG, IgM, IgA and IgE), C3, and C4, T lymphocyte subsets, neutrophil chemotaxis and natural killer cell-mediated cytotoxic activity were measured in 34 children with atopic dermatitis and 31 healthy controls. Twenty-four patients were re-evaluated when their dermatitis was quiescent. Serum levels of IgG, IgM and IgE were significantly higher in the patients with atopic dermatitis than in the controls, while levels of serum IgA did not differ significantly between the two groups. C3 levels were lower in the patients than in the controls and correlated inversely with clinical disease severity. C4 levels were not significantly altered. Numbers of suppressor/cytotoxic T lymphocytes and polymorphonuclear leukocyte chemotaxis were significantly reduced in the atopic patients. There was a significant inverse correlation between the natural killer cell-mediated cytotoxic activity and the severity and extent of the dermatitis. These results support the hypothesis that atopic dermatitis is connected with a defect in cellular immunity.