Wells' syndrome (eosinophilic cellulitis): correlation between clinical activity, eosinophil levels, eosinophil cation protein and interleukin-5.

Wells' syndrome (WS) (eosinophilic cellulitis) is characterized by the presence of oedematous skin lesions associated with eosinophilia of the tissues. It has recently been observed that in patients with this disease, increased eosinophil cation protein (ECP) and interleukin (IL) -5 can be detected in peripheral blood, with T lymphocytes that have mRNA for this lymphokine. We present a patient with WS in whom we found a close correlation between clinical activity, eosinophils in blood and bone marrow, and ECP and IL-5 levels in peripheral blood and tissues. We underline the major part played by IL-5 in this disease.