[Deficit of natural killer cells (NK cells) in the peripheral blood of patients with atopic dermatitis].

Immunoregulatory T-cell subsets of the peripheral blood were measured using monoclonal antibodies (Leu series) in a group of 30 patients with atopic dermatitis and 20 healthy control persons. A highly significant reduction (P less than 0.001) in the percentage of Leu 11a+ (NK) and Leu 7+ (K/NK) cells was found in the peripheral blood of patients with atopic dermatitis. The proportion of Leu 2a+ cells (cytotoxic/suppressor) was significantly (P less than 0.001) lower in the patient group. The immunoregulatory ratio of Leu 3a+/Leu 2a+ T cells (helper/suppressor) was significantly (P less than 0.001) higher in the patient group (4.3 +/- 0.3) than in the blood of control persons (2.2 +/- 0.1). The percentage of Leu 11a+ cells was positively correlated with the percentage of Leu 2a+ cells (r = 0.67) and negatively correlated with the ratio of Leu 3a+/Leu 2a+ T cells (r = -0.63).