Elevated serum levels of soluble CD30 are associated with atopic dermatitis, but not with respiratory atopic disorders and allergic contact dermatitis

Type 2 helper T-cell immune responses can be demonstrated in the human atopic disorders atopic dermatitis and allergic asthma/rhinoconjunctivitis. The CD30 (Ki-1) antigen, originally described on Hodgkin and Reed-Sternberg cells, has recently been proposed as a marker of T cells with potent B-cell helper activity producing IL-5 and gamma-IFN, as well as on CD4+ and CD8+T cells with a Th2 cytokine profile. As a soluble form of CD30 (sCD30) is released by CD30+ cells in vivo, we studied its clinical significance in atopic disorders compared with allergic contact dermatitis and healthy controls. Elevated sCD30 levels were associated with atopic dermatitis (P<0.0001), but not with respiratory atopic disorders or allergic contact dermatitis. sCD30 levels in patients with atopic dermatitis were independent of serum IgE, The particular occurrence of serum sCD30 in patients with atopic dermatitis indicates a special regulatory function of CD30+ cells in this disease.