Lymphocyte activation by streptococcal antigens in psoriasis.

Cell-mediated immune responses in 28 hospitalized patients with psoriasis and in 36 healthy controls were studied using the two-step leukocyte migration agarose test. Specific cell-mediated immunity to A-streptococcal cell wall and cell membrane antigens occurred significantly more often in patients with psoriasis than in the control group. A statistically significant correlation between psoriasis-associated antigens of the HLA-B locus and cellular immune reactivity to A-streptococcal antigens or clinical course was not found. When patients with guttate psoriasis were compared separately with the control group, leukocyte migration inhibition induced by cell-free supernatants of A-streptococcal antigen-exposed mononuclear cell cultures was found to be more frequent than in other forms of psoriasis.