Actinic reticuloid: immunohistochemical analysis of the cutaneous infiltrate in 13 patients.

An immunohistological study on cryostat sections of skin biopsies in 13 patients with actinic reticuloid has been performed using a panel of 21 monoclonal antibodies against lymphoid and non-lymphoid infiltrate cells. The infiltrate consisted of activated T cells, numerous histiocytes and macrophages, and small numbers of B cells. In 10 out of 13 patients the majority of the lymphocytes expressed the phenotype of suppressor cells. The number of Leu 8+ cells was inversely proportional to HLA-DR expression by the dermal infiltrate, which suggested a negative correlation between a state of activation and the concentration of Leu 8+ cells. There was a striking number of IgE bearing dendritic cells in the dermis associated with elevated serum IgE levels.