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Cellular Mechanisms in Allergic Contact Dermatitis

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Textbook of Contact Dermatitis

Abstract

In the last two decades, our understanding of the basic mechanisms underlying induction, expression and regulation of allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) has rapidly increased. Highlights in this period include the discovery of T-cell lymphoid tissue domains related to cell-mediated immunity, the discovery of the thymus as the cradle for these T lymphocytes, and how such T cells may bear specificity to just one or few allergens out of the vast number of allergens known. Progress has also resulted from the development of reagents (monoclonal antibodies) that allow better identification of various inflammatory cells and the bioindustrial production of large amounts of peptide-mediators like interferon-γ and interleukin-2 (IL-2), which allow in-depth analysis of skin inflammatory processes such as those taking place in ACD.

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Authors
  1. Rik J. Scheper
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  2. B. Mary
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  3. E. von Blomberg
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. St. John’s Institute of Dermatology, St. Thomas’s Hospital, SE1 7EH, London, UK

    Richard J. G. Rycroft

  2. Department of Dermatology, Gentofte Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Niels Andersens Vej 65, 2900, Hellerup, Denmark

    Torkil Menné

  3. Hautklinik der Städtischen Kliniken Dortmund, Abteilung Dermatologie, Universität Witten/Herdecke, Beurhausstraße 40, 44123, Dortmund, Germany

    Peter J. Frosch

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Scheper, R.J., Mary, B., von Blomberg, E. (1995). Cellular Mechanisms in Allergic Contact Dermatitis. In: Rycroft, R.J.G., Menné, T., Frosch, P.J. (eds) Textbook of Contact Dermatitis. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-03104-9_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-03104-9_2

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