[Histamine receptor bearing mononuclear cells in children with atopic dermatitis (author's transl)].

The frequency of mononuclear cells bearing membrane receptors for histamine was investigated in peripheral blood from children with atopic dermatitis (AD) by means of the rosettes histamine assay, using sheep erythrocytes coated with histamine. Histamine rosettes (HR) varied from 5.70 to 11.25 p. 100 in healthy adults; from 3.25 to 7.75 p. 100 in control children and from 2 to 6.55 p. 100 in children with AD. The reaction was specific as histidine and tryptamine only slightly inhibited HR formation, whereas free histamine, histamine H1 and H2 antagonists (neo antergan and metiamide) and the histamine H1 agonist (dimaprit) reduced HR formation much more strongly. The inhibition of the HR formation by all these agents was not found to be significantly different in normal children and in children with AD. However the reduction of the HR formation by a previous incubation with histamine was not constant in children with AD.