Immunologic Competence of Patients With Psoriasis Receiving Cytotoxic Drug Therapy

Abstract

Patients with psoriasis receiving cytotoxic drug therapy and appropriate control subjects were exposed to (1) sensitizing doses of delayed allergens, dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB), and paranitrosodimethylaniline (NDMA); (2) evocative patches of pentadecylcatechol (PDC); and (3) immunizing doses of a plague vaccine. Psoriatic patients so treated were very difficult to sensitize to DNCB and NDMA, reacted normally to PDC, and generally failed to give a primary or a secondary immune response to plague antigen.