Detection and function of IL-17 producing CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ regulatory Tcells in peripheral blood and skin of patients with atopic dermatitis versus patients with psoriasis

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status: Recruiting

Sex: Not specified

Target Recruitment: 45

Inclusion Criteria

Patients with atopic dermatitis must meet the following criteria:
• Adults older than 18 years of age
• Patients with moderate to severe atopic dermatitis (TIS score >=3)
• Patients must be willing to give a written informed consent
• Patients must be able to adhere to the visit schedule ;Patients with psoriatis must meet the following criteria:
• Adults older than 18 years of age
• Patients with severe psoriasis (PASI >=15)
• Patients must be willing to give a written informed consent
• Patients must be able to adhere to the visit schedule ;Healthy volunteers must meet the following criteria:
• Adults older than 18 years of age
• Volunteers must be willing to give a written informed consent
• Volunteers must be able to adhere to the visit schedule

Exclusion Criteria

Patients with atopic dermatitis will be excluded from this study when any of the following criteria listed below are met:
• Children or adolescents younger than 18 years of age
• Patients with, besides atopic dermatitis, psoriasis
• Patients that use systemic medication for their atopic dermatitis, for
example ciclosporine
• Patients who are currently treated with phototherapy
• Patients with mild atopic dermatitis
• Patients using trial medication
• Patients using immunosuppressive agents like prednisone or methotrexate
• Patients with relevant co-morbidities
• Patients with a current condition involving an activated immune system,
such as the flue or a recent vaccination;Patients with psoriasis will be excluded from this study when any of the following criteria listed below are met:
• Children or adolescents younger than 18 years of age
• Patients with, besides psoriasis, atopic dermatitis
• Patients that use systemic medication for their psoriasis, for
example acitretin or biologics
• Patients who are currently treated with phototherapy
• Patients with a mild to moderate psoriasis (Psoriasis Area and Severity
Index <=15)
• Patients using trial medication
• Patients using immunosuppressive agents like prednisone or methotrexate
• Patients with relevant co-morbidities
• Patients with a current condition involving an activated immune system,
such as the flue or a recent vaccination

The healthy volunteer will be excluded from this study when any of the following criteria listed below are met:
• Children or adolescents younger than 18 years of age
• A volunteer with a history or signs of a relevant skin disease
• A volunteer with a family history of atopic dermatitis or psoriasis
• Volunteers using immunosuppressive agents like prednisone or methotrexate
• Volunteers with relevant co-morbidities
• Volunteers with a current condition involving an activated immune system,
such as the flue or a recent vaccination

Study & Design

Study Type: Observational invasive

Study Design: Not specified

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
<p>Skin biopsies are processed and tissue sections will be analyzed for the<br /><br>presence of IL-17-producing Treg using multicolour immunohistochemestry and<br /><br>multicolour immunofluorescence. Tissues will be visualized using microscopy,<br /><br>photographed and analysed using computer software. From the peripheral blood we<br /><br>will isolate CD4+CD25+Treg cells and look whether they have the propensity to<br /><br>differentiate and to produce cytokines upon ex vitro stimulation.</p><br>

Secondary Outcome Measures