Natural cell-mediated cytotoxic activity in the peripheral blood of patients with atopic dermatitis.

Ten patients with atopic dermatitis and ten healthy control subjects, matched for age, sex, and skin color, were studied for their peripheral blood natural cell-mediated cytotoxic activity against K-562 human leukemia cell line target cells, using the sodium chromate Cr 51 release assay. There was a great reduction in the natural cytotoxic activity of the patients with atopic dermatitis compared with that of their respective control subjects; the patients with atopic dermatitis had a mean value of 41.9 alpha +/- 28.3% of that of the control subjects.