Epidermal interleukin 1 in normal skin of patients with HIV infection.

Interleukin 1 (IL-1) in the epidermis plays an important role together with Langerhans cells in the activation of the T cells. To determine whether IL-1 could be located in the normal epidermis of 54 patients with HIV infection and related to the stage of the disease, an indirect immunofluorescence technique was used. Intense epidermal fluorescence to IL-1 was noted in the asymptomatic stage II of the disease, whereas there was minimal reactivity in the other stages.