CYTOKINETICS OF EPIDERMAL AND DERMAL CELLS IN ALLERGIC CONTACT-DERMATITIS AND ATOPIC-DERMATITIS

The cytokinetics of epidermal and dermal cells was examined in 16 patients with subacute or chronic allergic contact dermatitis and 11 with atopic dermatitis. In allergic contact dermatitis a 3H-thymidine-labeling index (H3-I) of 4.55 .+-. 2.4% was found in the epidermis and of 0.7 .+-. 0.44% in the dermal infiltrate. In comparison, in atopic dermatitis the values were 5.5 .+-. 2.31% in the epidermis and 0.93 .+-. 0.72% in the dermis. The DNA-synthesis-time (ts) was lengthened slightly with 11.4 .+-. 2.4 h in allergic contact dermatitis and 11.75 .+-. 3.68 h in atopic dermatitis. In comparison with normal skin, the cell-cycle-time (tc) was slightly shortened in allergic contact dermatitis (244 .+-. 110 h) and in atopic dermatitis (233 .+-. 83 h). There was no significant difference between both types of dermatitis regarding cytokinetics.