Biomaterial Database

Lymphocytes in the skin of patients with progressive systemic sclerosis. Quantification, subtyping, and clinical correlations. 1984

A D Roumm, and T L Whiteside, and T A Medsger, and G P Rodnan

Mononuclear cells (MNC) present in the dermis of the forearm and in the blood of patients with progressive systemic sclerosis (PSS) were quantified and analyzed for subsets using monoclonal antibodies. The findings were correlated with cutaneous and systemic features of the disease. Total T lymphocytes and their subsets, B cells, and macrophages were enumerated in the skin samples of 21 patients with PSS. The dermal MNC infiltrates consisted mostly of activated T lymphocytes with a mean T helper/T suppressor (T4/T8) ratio of 2.4 +/- 1.3 SD. Few B1-positive or T6-positive cells (macrophages) were observed. There was no correlation between the skin or blood T4/T8 ratios and the degree of skin thickening. On histologic examination, 58 of 115 (50%) untreated patients with PSS had prominent dermal MNC infiltration. Significant correlations between the degree of MNC infiltration and both the degree (P less than 0.05) and progression (P less than 0.05) of skin thickening were observed. No correlations with other systemic disease features of PSS were noted. These results suggest that cutaneous T lymphocytes may play a role in mediating dermal sclerosis in PSS.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000911	Antibodies, Monoclonal	Antibodies produced by a single clone of cells.	Monoclonal Antibodies,Monoclonal Antibody,Antibody, Monoclonal
D001688	Biological Products	Complex pharmaceutical substances, preparations, or matter derived from organisms usually obtained by biological methods or assay.	Biologic,Biologic Drug,Biologic Product,Biological,Biological Drug,Biological Medicine,Biological Product,Biologics,Biopharmaceutical,Natural Product,Natural Products,Biologic Drugs,Biologic Medicines,Biologic Pharmaceuticals,Biologic Products,Biological Drugs,Biological Medicines,Biologicals,Biopharmaceuticals,Products, Biological,Drug, Biologic,Drug, Biological,Drugs, Biologic,Drugs, Biological,Medicine, Biological,Medicines, Biologic,Medicines, Biological,Pharmaceuticals, Biologic,Product, Biologic,Product, Biological,Product, Natural
D012595	Scleroderma, Systemic	A chronic multi-system disorder of CONNECTIVE TISSUE. It is characterized by SCLEROSIS in the SKIN, the LUNGS, the HEART, the GASTROINTESTINAL TRACT, the KIDNEYS, and the MUSCULOSKELETAL SYSTEM. Other important features include diseased small BLOOD VESSELS and AUTOANTIBODIES. The disorder is named for its most prominent feature (hard skin), and classified into subsets by the extent of skin thickening: LIMITED SCLERODERMA and DIFFUSE SCLERODERMA.	Sclerosis, Systemic,Systemic Scleroderma,Systemic Sclerosis
D012867	Skin	The outer covering of the body that protects it from the environment. It is composed of the DERMIS and the EPIDERMIS.
D013601	T-Lymphocytes	Lymphocytes responsible for cell-mediated immunity. Two types have been identified - cytotoxic (T-LYMPHOCYTES, CYTOTOXIC) and helper T-lymphocytes (T-LYMPHOCYTES, HELPER-INDUCER). They are formed when lymphocytes circulate through the THYMUS GLAND and differentiate to thymocytes. When exposed to an antigen, they divide rapidly and produce large numbers of new T cells sensitized to that antigen.	T Cell,T Lymphocyte,T-Cells,Thymus-Dependent Lymphocytes,Cell, T,Cells, T,Lymphocyte, T,Lymphocyte, Thymus-Dependent,Lymphocytes, T,Lymphocytes, Thymus-Dependent,T Cells,T Lymphocytes,T-Cell,T-Lymphocyte,Thymus Dependent Lymphocytes,Thymus-Dependent Lymphocyte
D016207	Cytokines	Non-antibody proteins secreted by inflammatory leukocytes and some non-leukocytic cells, that act as intercellular mediators. They differ from classical hormones in that they are produced by a number of tissue or cell types rather than by specialized glands. They generally act locally in a paracrine or autocrine rather than endocrine manner.	Cytokine