White Blood Cell Ultrastructure and p53 Expression
in Psoriasis
Title: Changes of ultrastructure and p-53 protein
expression on the peripheral blood lymphocytes of patients with
vulgar form of psoriasis after balneal therapy in resort "nunisi"
Authors: Rukhadze L, et al.
Publication: Georgian Med News. 2005 May;(5):76-80.
The authors analyzed peripheral blood lymphocyte and p53 apoptotic
protein levels in patients with psoriasis before and after bathing
treatment in the resort Nunisi in Georgia.
The authors took blood samples of 10 patients (22 to 46 years
of age) with vulgar or common psoriasis (4 with disseminated patches
or patches widely scattered throughout the body and 6 focal or
localized patches). These patients had been suffering from 2 to
24 years, with remissions of 6 to 12 months.
The balneal or bath therapy in Nunisi included a course of 15
to 18 procedures at temperatures of 36 to 37 degrees celcius.
The total number of patients undergoing bath therapy was 40. An
additional 25 underwent basic therapy. For control, the authors
used 25 people, 5 of which gave blood samples.
Lymphocytes of the blood (a type of white blood cells that are
involved in the body’s immune response) were examined using
electron microscopy. The authors also examined the presence of
a protein called p53 in these cells. p53 was first identified
as a tumor suppressor gene – it has many functions, including
causing programmed cell death or apoptosis to prevent uncontrolled
cell growth.
The authors found that the morphology of the lymphocytes and
the presence of p53 protein were consistent with the lymphocyte
necrosis (tissue death) and programmed cell death, especially
in the large granular lymphocyte during basic therapy. After the
bath therapy in Nunisi, the large granular lymphocyte levels and
psoriatic lesions in the skin were both reduced.
Editor’s Note: Large Granular Lymphocyte (LGL), is a subset
of lymphocytes in the blood. It contains T-cells and CD3-NK (natural
killer) cells, both of which are involved in the immune system reaction
to infection or malignant cells.
