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Biomedical subjects

K D Cooper

Publications and source records attributed to K D Cooper.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources

Oral cyclosporine for the treatment of alopecia areata. A clinical and immunohistochemical analysis.

Cyclosporine inhibits the activation of helper T cells that may be pathogenic in alopecia areata. Therefore we treated six patients with alopecia areata (five men, one woman) with oral cyclosporine, 6 mg/kg/day for 12 weeks. Three patients had alopecia universalis, one had alopecia totalis, and two had patchy alopecia areata of the scalp. Hair regrowth in the scalp of all patients occurred within the second and fourth weeks of therapy, followed by hair regrowth of the face and chest (in the male patients), pubic area, extremities, and axillae. Overall, the site of best response was the scalp. Cosmetically acceptable terminal hair regrowth on the scalp occurred in three of six patients. Significant hair loss, however, occurred in all patients within 3 months of discontinuation of cyclosporine treatment. Clinical response correlated with changes in immune cell infiltration of the hair follicles. The number of leukocytes per hair follicle was quantified in transverse scalp biopsy sections stained with a panel of monoclonal antibodies. The degree of terminal hair regrowth correlated significantly with decreases in follicular epithelial human lymphocyte antigen-DR and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 expression, T cells, helper/inducer (CD4) T cells, suppressor/cytotoxic (CD8) T cells and Langerhans cells (CD1+DR+) from the hair follicles during cyclosporine therapy. A significant decrease in the CD4/CD8 ratio occurred early in the course of treatment and was maintained throughout the therapy. This decrease suggests that cyclosporine not only cleared immune cells from the hair follicles but also altered the balance of regulatory lymphocytes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Administration, Oral↗

Oral manifestations of linear IgA disease.

A case of linear IgA disease with prominent oral lesions is presented. Oral manifestations in linear IgA disease have been reported as minor clinical presentations. In our patient the oral manifestations predominated and were the only clinical manifestations for 5 years before the skin lesions appeared. Linear IgA disease should be included in the differential diagnosis of bullous dermatoses with oral lesions.

Aged↗

Koebnerization as a cutaneous manifestation of immune complex-mediated vasculitis.

Two unusual examples of the cutaneous manifestations of vasculitis are presented. In both cases lesions occurred on previously traumatized skin and on normal skin of the dependent areas. Lesional skin biopsy specimens obtained from the koebnerized sites and from the other dependent sites revealed evidence of vascular injury in both patients. A diagnosis of leukocytoclastic vasculitis was made in one patient and pityriasis lichenoides et varioliformis acuta in the other. Direct immunofluorescence microscopy of lesional skin specimens from both patients demonstrated dermal vascular immune deposits. Raji cell assay detected a significant elevation of circulating immune complexes in the serum of both patients. Neither koebnerizing leukocytoclastic vasculitis nor koebnerizing pityriasis lichenoides et varioliformis acuta has been reported previously.

Adult↗

Lymphocytic infiltrates of the skin in association with cyclosporine therapy.

Three patients, one of whom has been previously reported, had erythematous papules and nodules of the face and upper part of the chest during cyclosporine therapy for inflammatory skin diseases. Histologic examination and DNA analysis (performed in two cases) revealed benign dermal lymphocytic infiltrates. In two cases proliferation of only T cells occurred. In the third case, both T and B cell populations were expanded and there was vacuolar degeneration of the basal layer of the epidermis and IgG, IgM, and C3 deposition along the dermoepidermal junction. These findings may be the result of cyclosporine-induced immune dysregulation. The lesions resolved in all patients after therapy was stopped.

Adult↗

Interactions of epidermal cells and T cells in inflammatory skin diseases.

Multiple cell types and their factors and cytokines are involved in regulating the immune response in inflammatory skin diseases. Stimulatory and inhibitory factors interact to determine whether the immune response is regulated up or down. Normally, stimulatory signals are counteracted by inhibitory signals to prevent an immune reaction from being initiated. However, exogenous antigens and irritants or endogenous factors and altered immunogenic self-peptides can upset this balance. When that occurs, T cells are activated and an inflammatory skin reaction develops. Lymphokines released from such activated T cells can modify the phenotype and function of normal keratinocytes. They can induce the expression of adhesion molecules and receptors involved in antigen presentation. Furthermore, they can also stimulate keratinocyte proliferation. This may be important in development of the hyperplasia seen in inflammatory skin diseases, especially in psoriasis. Cytokines released from the activated keratinocytes can both stimulate and attract T cells to the epidermis and thereby continue the ongoing immune reaction.

Dermatitis↗

Effects of cyclosporine on immunologic mechanisms in psoriasis.

A major impetus for further investigation of cellular immunologic mechanisms in psoriasis has been the discovery that cyclosporine, a potent immunosuppressive, is highly effective in the treatment of psoriasis. Cyclosporine has significant inhibitory effects on the ability of T cells to become activated. However, a direct activity of this drug on human keratinocyte signal transduction or growth has been difficult to demonstrate at relevant concentrations. Nevertheless, treatment of psoriasis or of 12-O-tetradecanoyl phorbol-13-acetate-treated murine skin with cyclosporine does reverse many epidermal abnormalities that are common to these two systems. This suggests that the compound exerts an indirect effect on epidermal keratinocytes in vivo, perhaps through immunocyte inhibition. During treatment of psoriasis patients, cyclosporine therapy resulted in selective changes in the numbers and functions of certain antigen-presenting cell subsets (which were distinct from Langerhans cells) and T-cell subsets. These changes were accompanied by indirect evidence of decreased T-cell lymphokine release. Lesional activity of cyclosporine-treated psoriasis patients was closely correlated with the degree of T-cell activation caused by antigen-presenting cells. Cyclosporine inhibition of lymphokine or cytokine release may result in decreased recruitment of non-Langerhans antigen-presenting cells into the epidermis and thus decreased immunoreactivity in the lesion.

Cyclosporins↗

Interleukin-1 in human skin: dysregulation in psoriasis.

Cytokine dysregulation is an attractive concept to explain many of the observed abnormalities in psoriasis. IL-1, in particular, can potentiate immune cellular activation, activate fibroblasts, and increase endothelial cell adhesiveness to leukocytes. Here, we review IL-1 regulation in normal and psoriatic skin in vivo in relation to normal skin and cultured keratinocytes. Contrary to expectations, IL-1 functional activity in psoriatic lesions is reduced, not increased, relative to normal skin. The reduction is attributable to the presence of IL-1 inhibitors, reduced IL-1alpha levels, and an IL-1beta that lacked function in T-cell assays. IL-1beta protein is actually significantly increased in psoriatic lesions, but the mechanism of its non-functionality remains unclear. Unlike cultured keratinocytes, which accumulate large, inactive IL-1beta precursors, both normal and psoriatic skin process IL-1beta to a mature form. Novel mechanisms of post-translational processing by epidermis in vivo may generate a novel form of IL-1beta with unknown functions. The marked abnormalities of IL-1 regulation in psoriatic skin suggest that this molecule may be important in normal skin homeostasis.

Humans↗

The role of immune system in the pathogenesis of psoriasis.

Psoriatic involved skin contains an increased number of activated T cells. The mechanism through which these T cells achieve and maintain their activated state is unknown, and both antigen-dependent and -independent mechanisms may contribute. Recently a novel pathway of antigen-independent T-cell activation has been described. This pathway is identified by a monoclonal antibody that binds to a T-cell membrane surface molecule termed "UM4D4." This molecule is expressed on a minority (20%) of psoriatic peripheral blood T cells but on a majority (75%) of the T cells in lesional skin. Thus, UM4D4 could play a role in antigen-independent T-cell activation in psoriasis. Indeed the monoclonal antibody anti-UM4D4 consistently induces proliferation of psoriatic UM4D4+ T-cell clones. The activity of antigen-dependent pathways are also enhanced in psoriatic epidermis in as much as involved skin relative to uninvolved skin contains an increased number and function of antigen-presenting cells. Upon activation, the lesional T cells release lymphokines. Central to the immune hypothesis of psoriasis is that some of these T-cell lymphokines act on keratinocytes to induce changes characteristic of psoriasis. Indeed lymphokines from lesional psoriatic T-cell clones directly alter in vitro keratinocyte phenotype through induction of intercellular adhesion molecule-I (ICAM-1) and HLA-DR cell-surface expression. Furthermore, the lymphokines also enhance keratinocyte growth. These data suggest a critical role for the immune system in the pathogenesis of psoriasis.

Antigens, CD↗

Genotypic analysis of T-cell clones derived from cutaneous T-cell lymphoma lesions demonstrates selective growth of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes.

The nature of T cells contained within cutaneous lesions of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) has not been studied at the clonal level. T cells extracted from skin lesions of two CTCL patients were cloned by limiting dilution and propagated in interleukin-2 (IL-2) containing medium with periodic lectin stimulation. Twelve T-cell clones were derived from each patient. In both cases, genotypic analysis of the T-cell clones revealed that these clones had T-cell receptor (TCR) beta- and gamma-chain gene rearrangements distinct from the predominant, presumably malignant, clone present in the skin, lymph nodes, or blood. This suggests that they were derived from presumably reactive (non-malignant) T cells. Furthermore, these clones had gene rearrangements different from each other, indicating their multiple clonal origins. The failure to propagate in vitro the CTCL T-cell clone suggests that CTCL cells may have growth requirements different from normal T cells. Thus, conventional T-cell culturing methods using IL-2 and lectins as mitogen may selectively propagate the presumably reactive T cells contained within the skin lesions. The ability to selectively grow these reactive lesional T cells (so-called tumor infiltrating lymphocytes) raises the possibility that these cells could be used in adoptive immunotherapy.

Cell Division↗

Cutaneous dermal Ia+ cells are capable of initiating delayed type hypersensitivity responses.

The presence of Langerhans cells (LC) within the epidermis has been shown to be critical for inducing T-cell-mediated immune responses in the skin. The purpose of this study was to assess whether cells in the dermis can initiate T-cell-mediated delayed-type hypersensitivity responses in vivo. Initially, back skins from C3H mice were trypsinized to remove the epidermis. The dermis was enzymatically dispersed and filtered to obtain a cell suspension. However, dermal cells exposed to trypsin were contaminated with numerous disaggregated hair follicles. These hair follicles contained Ia+ cells (presumably LC), and upon haptenation in vitro with trinitrophenyl, initiated contact hypersensitivity reactions in vivo. We therefore used dispase in place of trypsin to prevent follicular disaggregation and to allow preparation of dermal cell suspensions free of hair follicles. These hair follicle-free dermal cells were haptenated with trinitrophenyl and injected intradermally. Elicitation of contact hypersensitivity by epicutaneous painting 6 d later revealed the mean +/- SEM incremental ear-swelling response to be 53 +/- 8 mm X 10(-3). In contrast, mice sensitized by injection with dermal cells depleted of Ia+ cells demonstrated only 10 +/- 1 mm X 10(-3) of ear swelling. Thus, like dendritic LC of the epidermis, perivascular dendritic Ia+ cells of the dermis are capable of initiating T-cell-mediated contact hypersensitivity in vivo and may be highly relevant for presentation of antigen to T cells trafficking through the dermis.

Animals↗

Antigen presentation and T-cell activation in epidermodysplasia verruciformis.

Aberrant immune responses may play a role in the susceptibility of patients with epidermodysplasia verruciformis to human papilloma virus (HPV). We examined the stimulatory capacity of antigen-presenting cells from HPV-infected skin and peripheral blood T-cell responses of patients with epidermodysplasia verruciformis. The percentage of Langerhans cells in relation to total epidermal cells in suspension was slightly reduced in HPV-infected lesions, relative to apparently clinically uninfected epidermis. In addition, the morphologic appearance of Langerhans cells was altered in lesional epidermal sheets. Despite these abnormalities, Langerhans cells were functionally intact in their capacity to present alloantigens to T cells and, in fact, the epidermis of HPV-infected lesions demonstrated enhanced antigen-presenting activity in three of four patients tested. The antigen-presenting activity was entirely abrogated by removal of Langerhans cells and was not associated with increased activity of cytokines with stimulatory activity for the thymocyte co-stimulation assay. Although epidermodysplasia verruciformis T cells were unresponsive to autologous HPV-infected epidermis, they responded well to mitogens, allogeneic mononuclear leukocytes, and allogeneic epidermal cells. Epidermodysplasia verruciformis T cells were inhibited in their capacity to respond to allogeneic epidermal cells when they were simultaneously exposed to autologous epidermal cells from HPV-infected lesional epidermis, but not to normal-appearing epidermis. Thus, although Langerhans cell activity is intact in epidermodysplasia verruciformis, these individuals fail to respond to autologous papillomas, which may, at least in part, be explained by an interaction between papillomal epidermal cells and autologous T cells that results in an inhibited response.

Antigen-Presenting Cells↗

Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma lesional epidermal cells activate autologous CD4+ T lymphocytes: involvement of both CD1+OKM5+ and CD1+OKM5- antigen-presenting cells.

Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma is characterized by infiltration of the skin by activated CD4+ T lymphocytes. The mechanism by which these T lymphocytes achieve and maintain their activated state is unknown. Antigen-specific activation of T lymphocytes is dependent upon antigen-presenting cells which express HLA-DR class II major histocompatibility complex molecules, such as epidermal Langerhans cells. In addition to CD1+DR+ Langerhans cells, cutaneous T-cell lymphoma lesional epidermis contains major histocompatibility complex class II positive non-Langerhans cell populations, including CD1+OKM5+ bone-marrow-derived cells and DR+ keratinocytes. We asked whether any of these epidermal cell populations demonstrate capacity to activate T lymphocytes. Various numbers of epidermal cells from uninvolved and involved cutaneous T-cell lymphoma plaques were therefore used to stimulate autologous CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes in the absence of exogenous antigen. Involved epidermal cells potently induced proliferation of CD4+ T lymphocytes (S.I. +/- SEM = 466 +/- 45). In contrast, uninvolved epidermal cells only induced background levels of proliferation (S.I. +/- SEM = 2 +/- 0.5, N = 8, p less than 0.01). Neither involved nor uninvolved epidermal cells were able directly to activate CD8+ lymphocytes. The capability of involved epidermal cells to activate CD4+ T lymphocytes was dependent upon CD1+DR+ leukocytes and not DR+ keratinocytes, because depletion of either HLA-DR+, CD1+ or HLe1+ epidermal cells totally abrogated the T-lymphocyte proliferation. Interestingly, on a cell per cell basis CD1+DR+ cells obtained from involved skin, demonstrated relative to CD1+DR+ cells from uninvolved skin, enhanced capacity to activate CD4+ T lymphocytes. Furthermore, CD1+OKM5+ cells from involved epidermis stimulated autologous CD4+ T lymphocytes. This indicates that a unique hitherto undescribed CD1+OKM5+ epidermal antigen-presenting cell population may participate in T-lymphocyte activation. These findings provide support for the concept that the epidermal cells in cutaneous T-cell lymphoma patients, particularly the antigen-presenting cells, may contribute significantly to the activation of CD4+ malignant and/or non-malignant inflammatory T lymphocytes within the skin.

Antigen-Presenting Cells↗

Mechanisms of cyclosporine A inhibition of antigen-presenting activity in uninvolved and lesional psoriatic epidermis.

To elucidate how cyclosporine A affects antigen-presenting cell subsets and their function in human skin, we studied patients with psoriasis undergoing a therapeutic trial of cyclosporine A. Immunologic parameters abnormal in psoriatic epidermis were evaluated before and early in the course of therapy. We quantitated function and numbers of skin biopsy-derived epidermal cells with potential antigen-presenting cell (APC) activity. The antigen-presenting capacity of epidermal cells from normal-appearing skin to activate allogeneic T cells was profoundly inhibited (81% decrease) 7 d after the onset of therapy (p less than 0.05). Thus, cyclosporine A therapy inhibited T-cell activation mediated by Langerhans cells in uninvolved skin. By contrast, in lesional skin epidermal allo-antigen presenting activity was only partially inhibited at this early time point (55 +/- 7% decrease) (p less than 0.01, n = 8). The percentage decrease in allo-antigen-presenting cell activity correlated with reduced clinical activity of the lesions, r = 0.84. In three patients also examined at 14 d, we found an additional 42 +/- 5% decrease between day 7 and 14. Decreased allo-antigen-presenting activity in lesional skin was not associated with a decrease in the number of CD1+ Langerhans cells or epidermal cell release of detectable amounts of cyclosporine A or other soluble factors that abrogate T-cell alloreactivity. The time course and degree of inhibition of antigen-presenting capacity within involved psoriatic skin correlated best with a significant (p less than 0.01) reduction in non-Langerhans cell DR+ leukocytes (from 3.0 +/- 1.2% to 1.0 +/- 0.6% at day 7) (r = 0.71). Cyclosporine A therapy was associated with a rapid and complete loss of HLe1-DR+ keratinocytes (94% decrease at 7 d) in lesional skin despite the skin still being quite involved with psoriasis at this point and antigen-presenting cell activity being only 60% reduced. In conclusion, cyclosporine A interferes with T-cell activation by human epidermis through at least two mechanisms: 1) in uninvolved skin, rapid inhibition of Langerhans cell-mediated activation of T cells, and 2) in lesional skin, delayed inhibition of antigen-presenting activity which appears to correlate with the time course and level of reductions in non-Langerhans cell DR+ leukocytes. The antigen-presenting activity of the latter cells appears to be cyclosporine A resistant. In psoriatic lesions, early and complete loss of DR expression on lesional keratinocytes during cyclosporine A therapy is likely due to decreased lesional T-cell lymphokine production critical for keratinocyte DR expression.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Antigen-Presenting Cells↗

Phenotype, ultrastructure, and function of CD1+DR+ epidermal cells that express CD36 (OKM5) in cutaneous T-cell lymphoma.

This study investigated the phenotype and function of different antigen-presenting cells (APC) present within the epidermis of patients with cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL). Involved epidermis of CTCL compared with uninvolved was found to contain increased numbers of CD1+DR+ APC. This population was heterogeneous and comprised both leucocytes of a novel CD1+DR+CD36 (OKM5)+ phenotype and CD1+DR+CD36- indeterminate/Langerhans cells. The CD1+DR+CD36+ leucocytes did not express TcR-1, CD5, CD15, or CD22, and only a minor population expressed CD11, demonstrating that they were neither T nor B cells, and did not belong to the major CD11+ (OKM1+) blood monocyte population. Electron microscopy of purified CD36+ lesional epidermal cells (EC) demonstrated that they lacked Birbeck granules found on CD1(+)-selected Langerhans cells, and most cells exhibited features of indeterminate cells or macrophages. The capacity of EC from involved epidermis to present alloantigens was found to be increased relative to uninvolved epidermis in all patients tested, and this capacity was critically dependent upon the presence of CD45+DR+ bone marrow-derived cells but not on the presence of CD45-DR+ keratinocytes. Positive selection using MoAb against CD1 and CD36 demonstrated that both cell populations exhibited the capacity to stimulate T cells. The results indicate that a novel antigen-presenting cell population with a unique phenotype is present within involved skin of patients with mycosis fungoides. These cells express CD36 in addition to CD1 and have an ultrastructural appearance consistent with a dendritic antigen-presenting cell derivation.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗

Oral cyclosporine in the treatment of inflammatory and noninflammatory dermatoses. A clinical and immunopathologic analysis.

Cyclosporine is known to be effective in the treatment of psoriasis. In this study, we have used oral cyclosporine (6 mg/kg per day) given for 5 to 30 weeks to 24 patients for the treatment of 12 different dermatoses. Patients with the following diseases demonstrated a marked response or total clearing: 1 patient each with pyoderma gangrenosum, pityriasis lichenoides chronica, and psoriasis of the acrodermatitis continua of Hallopeau type. Moderate to marked response occurred in both patients with epidermolysis bullosa acquisita and the patient with hidradenitis suppurativa. Minimal to moderate responses were obtained in both patients with granuloma annulare, 1 of 2 with acrodermatitis continua of Hallopeau, both patients with Darier's disease, and 1 of 6 patients with vitiligo. Little or no response was noted in both patients with sarcoidosis, all 3 patients with pityriasis rubra pilaris, 5 of 6 patients with vitiligo, 1 patient with pemphigus foliaceous, and 1 with pemphigus vulgaris. Clinical side effects were mild and transient and included dysesthesia, fatigue, hypertrichosis, nausea, and flushing. The most frequent clinically significant abnormalities were hypertension and renal dysfunction, with all factors normalizing within 1 month of discontinuation of cyclosporine therapy.

Administration, Oral↗

Psoriasis. Leukocytes and cytokines.

Elements of the immune system must take their place alongside other potential mechanisms of psoriasis, such as psoriatic epidermal keratinocytic hyperproliferation, endothelial cell and fibroblast activation and proliferation, abnormal lipid regulation, and transmembrane signalling abnormalities. These data provide support for the concept that cellular immunologic processes are active in a manner that further promotes the patho-physiologic events observed in psoriasis. Thus, therapies useful for psoriasis may have activity on immunologic processes in addition to more traditional mechanistic conceptions of effects on keratinocyte proliferation or other constitutive cell activity. As depicted in Figure 1, UV light, steroids, cyclosporine, and tars have potent inhibitory effects on antigen-presenting cells as well as on T cells. Methotrexate and azathioprine both have immunosuppressive activities, and even retinoids have complex immunomodulatory activity in addition to their ability to alter keratinocyte differentiation (or responsiveness to lymphokines). Cyclosporine has potent effects on T cells after they encounter activating signals such as foreign antigens or autoantigens. Although the T cell actually can become partially activated in the presence of cyclosporine, the drug interferes with the ability of the activated T cell to synthesize and secrete lymphokines (such as IL-2 or gamma-interferon) critical for the initiation and amplification of immune responses to a particular antigen. Although interruption of a single critical pathway improves psoriasis, it is likely that the most effective medications for psoriasis have actions on more than one cell type important in the pathogenesis of the lesion.

Cell Division↗