Cell-mediated immunity in vitro in atopic dermatitis.

The function of T cells in atopic dermatitis was studied by leukocyte migration agarose and lymphocyte transformation tests. We found that phytohemagglutinin (PHA)- and PPD-induced release of leukocyte migration inhibition factor (LIF) from lymphocytes is significantly decreased (P less than .001) in patients with atopic dermatitis as compared with healthy controls. Blastogenic response of lymphocytes induced by PPD was also decreased in atopic patients as compared with controls (P less than .01). No differences were found in spontaneous blastogenesis or in blastogenic response of lymphocytes in vitro to PHA, concanavalin A (ConA), or streptokinase-streptodornase (SK-SD) between patients with atopic dermatitis and controls.