With recent progression in knowledge of immunology, the roles of eosinophils and basophils in immediate and delayed hypersensitivity reactions have been partly ,elucidated and generally they are known as "marker" cells in various allergic disorders. Changes in number ´of eosinophils and basophils in the infiltrates of the involved tissue or in circulating blood in various allergic disorders have been reported by several investigators, however, there are only a few reports about skin disorders, especially for basophils because staining and counting method of the basophils developed only recently by James & Moore.
The present study has been performed to detect the alteration in absolute number of circulating eosinophils and basophils and to find out any correlation between the changes of both cell numbers in various allergic dermatoses.
A total of 84 patients with various allergic dermatoses and 50 healthy adults as control group were selected for this study at National Medical Center during the period of July to September 1976. The method of staining and counting of circulating eosinophils and basophils was essentially same with the original method of Randolph for eosinophils and James and Moore for basophils with only a minor modifications of both. All the blood specimens were taken between 9:00 and 12:00 a.m. and all the experiments were done within 6 hours after sampling.
The results were as follows.
1. The mean ±1 S.D. for eosinophil, basophil and total leukocyte number in 50 normal control was 126.5±80: 4, 31.4±13. 6, and 5,928.3±1,536. 9, respectively.
2. In 20 cases of acute urticaria (duration of illness, less than 2 days), the mean value±l S.D. for eosinophil, basophil, and total leukocyte number was 107.4±95.4, 9.3±7.3 and 9, 620±3,240.5, respectively and the result showed a significant decrease of basophils (p<0. 001)
3. In 20 cases of chronic urticaria (duration of illness, more than 4 weeks and dermographism included), the mean value+l S.D. for eosinophil, basophil and total leukocyte number was 237.3±202.9, 31.1±12.3 and 7,748.5±1,989.7, respectively and the result showed a significant increase of eosinophils(p<0.01).
4. In 15 cases of atopic dermatitis, the mean value±l S.D. for eosinophil, basophiland total leukocyte number was 309.7±402.8, 28.8±16.5 and 7,694.5±3,221.9, respectively and the result showed a significant increase of eosinophils (p<0.01).
5. In 10 cases of acute allergic contact dermatitis, the mean value l S.D. for eosinophil, basophil and total leukocyte number was 381.5+269.5, 53.6+34.0 and 7, 979.41,126.0 respectively and the result showed a significant increase of eosinophils and basophils, respectively (p <0.001, p <0.0. 1)
6. In 5 cases of allergic drug eruption, the mean value± 1 S. D. for eosinophil, basophil and total leukocyte number was 520.0±367.5, 19.6±17.6 and 12,390±2, 783.3, respectively and the result showed a significant increase of eosinophils. (p <0.001) and decrease of basophils.
7. In 10 cases of scabies, the mean value ± l S.D. for eosinophil, basophil and total leukocyte number was 299.3+216.6, 30.4+1.1.5 and 8, 081.6+3, 3014. 4, respectively and the result showed a significant increase of eosinophils (p<0.01).
8. In 3 cases of tinea pedis with id eruption, the mean value +l S.D. for eosinophil, basophil and total leukocyte number was 288.979.7, 29.6+5.2 and 8,916. 7 2, 739.2, respectively and the result showed slight increase of eosinophils.
9. In order to observe the sequential changes in the number of circulating eosinophils and basophils, a patient with wart was sensitized and challenged with DNCB, and serial determinations were performed. During sensitization period the number of circulating eosinophils was not changed, but the basophils increased gradually. After spontaneous flare-up the number of eosinophils increased with the decrease toward normal of basophils.
In the present study, we confirmed that the circulating eosinophils and basophils are definitely related to allergic dermatoses and found out the possibility that the difference in absolute number might be related to the causal agents and duration of disease.
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