The physiologic and cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) response to beta adrenergic stimulation in lymphocytes and granulocytes was examined in atopic eczema. These cells were isolated by Ficoll-Hypaque gradient from 10 patients with atopic eczema, and their responses were compared to 10 normal subjects. In eczema, basal concentrations of cAMP were normal in both lymphocytes and granulocytes. Lymphocyte cAMP response in eczema was decreased both to epinephrine (10-5 M) and to isoproterenol (10-5 M) but normal to prostaglandin E1 (PGE1). It was also noted that the glycogenolysis response to isoproterenol was significantly less at 10-5 M in eczema, but the fall in glycogen was normal with PGE (10-5 M and 10-7 M). The inhibition of lysosomal enzyme release from granulocytes after zymosan stimulation was significantly less (p less than 0.01) in eczema with all concentrations of isoproterenol tested. There was also a decrease in cyclic AMP response to isoproterenol in the polymorphonuclear leukocytes. PGE1 inhibited lysosomal enzyme release and stimulated cAMP normally. In eczema, both lymphocytes and polymorphonuclear leukocytes have a decreased beta adrenergic response.