Abstract: Objective To study the chemotactic activity of T lymphocytes from patients with psoriasis to proinflammatory cytokines in vitro and its role in the pathogenesis in psoriasis. Methods A 48 microchemotaxis chamber was employed to determine T-cell chemotactic activity. In addition, the expression of T-cell activation markers such as HLA-DR and interleukin 2 receptor was analysed with fluorescence activated cell sorting technique and serum IL-8 level was measured with ELISA. 45 patients with psoriasis (23 patients with severe psoriasis and 22 patients with mild psoriasis) and 21 patients with atopic dermatitis were investigated, and 20 healthy controls were tested equally. Results ①T-cell chemotactic responses were significantly decreased in patients with severe psoriasis and atopic dermatitis as compared to healthy controls. ②Increased expression of activation markers such as HLA-DR and interleukin 2 receptor was demonstrated in circulating T cells from severe psoriatic patients and atopic dermatitis patients in comparison to healthy controls. ③Serum IL-8 level was significantly increased in patients with psoriasis and atopic dermatitis. Conclusion The in vitro chemotactic response of circulating T cells in patients with severe psoriasis to IL-8 is significantly impaired, furthermore, the in vivo activation state of T lymphocytes in these patients and increased level of serum IL-8 seem to be associated to the decreased in vitro T-cell chemotactic response.

Key words: Psoriasis, Dermatitis,atopic, Chemotaxis,leukocyte Interleukin-8