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Interleukin 2 therapy in severe atopic dermatitis

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Abstract

Interleukin 2 (IL-2) at a dose of 10,000 to 20,000 U/kg/q 8 hr was given for 9–12 days to six patients with cases of severe atopic dermatitis (AD) which were refractory to conventional therapy. After IL-2 therapy, the clinical symptoms and signs of eczema including pruritus, scratching, papulovesicles, and lichenification were much improved, but all of them recurred 2–6 weeks after stopping treatment. Adverse reactions were similar to those reported previously, but all of them subsided after discontinuation of therapy. Laboratory findings showed decreased T-cell subsets, especially CD4+ cells, and increased IL-2R+ (CD25) cells, but there was no significant change in serum IL-2, serum IgE, orin vitro IgE production. Immunopathological studies of the skin biopsies showed decreased mononuclear-cell infiltration, depletion of CD4+ cells, and enhanced expression of CD25 and HLA-DR antigens. As lymphokine-activated killer (LAK)-cell activity against cultured fibroblasts was similar in patients with AD and in normals and CD1+ Langerhans cells were not decreased after IL-2 therapy, we speculate that the depletion of helper/inducer CD4+ cells and hence abrogation of the exaggerated antigen processing and cellular activation in diseased skin are the explanation for the transient efficacy of IL-2 in the treatment of atopic dermatitis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics, National Taiwan University Hospital, 1 Chang-Teh Street, 10016, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China

    Kue-Hsiung Hsieh & Chen-Cheng Chou

  2. Department of Pathology, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China

    Shiu-Feng Huang

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  1. Kue-Hsiung Hsieh
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  2. Chen-Cheng Chou
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Hsieh, KH., Chou, CC. & Huang, SF. Interleukin 2 therapy in severe atopic dermatitis. J Clin Immunol 11, 22–28 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00918791

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