Stimulating effect of pemphigus antibodies upon interleukin inhibitor production by normal human epidermocytes.

The present study deals with the effect of pemphigus antibodies upon immunoregulatory activity of normal human keratinocytes. In vitro experiments were carried out to determine the effect of epidermal keratinocyte culture supernatants (EKCS) upon the ability of peripheral blood mononuclear cells from healthy subjects to give lymphoproliferative response to lectins, and to induce production of interleukin I and interleukin 2 activity, and exogenous interleukin 2 absorption. It was found that EKCS, obtained in response to epidermal keratinocyte cultivation in the presence of I mg/ml pemphigus antibodies, inhibit both interleukin cascade reactions and mitogen-induced lymphoproliferative response. It is supposed that the interleukin production deficiency in pemphigus may emerge as a result of suppressive effect made by autoantibodies on epidermal keratinocytes.