[Immunohistologic characterization of stasis dermatitis transformed skin of the lower leg]

Antibodies against human T-lymphocytes and their subpopulations were applied to frozen sections obtained from skin affected with stasis dermatitis of the lower leg from 13 patients suffering from chronic venous insufficiency. In all cases, we observed an intense staining reaction with HLA-DR antibodies, i.e. mainly monocytes, macrophages, fibroblasts, and endothelial cells. Control sections of clinically normal skin taken from patients without stasis dermatitis showed only staining of endothelial cells and of dendritic epidermal cells with HLA-DR antigens. The dermal infiltrate in stasis dermatitis displayed only moderate staining with antigens directed against T-helper and T-suppressor cells. Our findings of large quantities of HLA-DR positive cells in skin affected with stasis dermatitis points to their possible role with regard to the induction and persistence of contact allergies so frequently encountered in this group of patients.