Subpopulations of T lymphocytes in psoriasis patients and their changes during immunotherapy

The content of T-lymphocytes and their basic subpopulations T-helpers and T-suppressors have been studied by means of monoclonal antibodies in the peripheral blood of 104 patients with different forms of psoriasis (56 patients with psoriasis vulgaris, 25 with exudative psoriasis, 10 with psoriasis arthropathica, and 13 with erythrodermic psoriasis). In all forms of psoriasis with a slight alteration in T-lymphocyte content a significant dysbalance of T-helpers and T-suppressors was found that brought about a decrease in the correlation ratio T-helpers/T-suppressors (T-helpers/T-suppressors in patients suffering from psoriasis vulgaris, 1.55 ± 0.12; in those with exudative psoriasis, 1.24 ± 0.16; with psoriasis arthropathica, 1.33 ± 0.16; with erythrodermic psoriasis, 1.33 ± 0.18; the control showed 1.82 ± 0.08). The decrease in T-helpers/T-suppressors to 1.2 and lower that corresponded to a more severe clinical course of the disease was revealed in 27 patients having psoriasis vulgaris, in 13 with exudative psoriasis, in 7 with psoriasis arthropathica, and in 9 with erythrodermic psoriasis. The dysbalance in T-helpers/T-suppressors was due to a decrease in T-helpers and an increase in T-suppressors. To normalize T-helpers/T-suppressors, 27 psoriatics (20 with psoriasis vulgaris, 6 with exudative psoriasis, 1 with erythrodermic psoriasis) received immunomodulators Thymalinum and Natrii nucleinas in addition to antipsoriatic therapy, which resulted in an increase in T-helper/T-suppressor ratio, on the average up to 1.74 ± 0.16 (prior to treatment T-helper/T-suppressor ratio in these patients was 1.0 ± 0.14) and was followed by a favorable clinical course (shorter periods of skin rash regression, prolonged remissions). In our opinion, the T-helper/T-suppressor dysbalance plays a definite role in the pathogenesis of psoriasis and should be considered when indicating proper therapy in which such immunomodulators as Thymalinum and Natrii nucleinas should be included.