ISSN:
1365-2133
Source:
Blackwell Publishing Journal Backfiles 1879-2005
Topics:
Medicine
Notes:
Background Atopic dermatitis (AD) and psoriasis are inflammatory skin diseases. AD is generally perceived as a T-helper (Th) 2-dominated disease whereas psoriasis is a Th1-dominated disease. The chemokine cutaneous T-cell attracting chemokine (CTACK) and its receptor CCR10 attract skin-homing lymphocytes to inflamed skin, suggesting that CCR10+ cells in AD and psoriasis should be of Th2 and Th1 type, respectively. The chemokine receptor CCR4 is expressed selectively on Th2 lymphocytes and its ligand thymus and activation-regulated chemokine (TARC) is upregulated in AD lesions, suggesting that the CCR10+ cells in AD lesions should also express CCR4.Objectives To examine the coexpression of CCR10 and CCR4 on skin-invading lymphocytes in AD and psoriasis lesions as well as the Th1/Th2 cytokine expression of the CCR10+ lymphocytes.Methods Skin biopsies from AD and psoriasis patients were double stained with antibodies against CCR10–CCR4, CCR10–CCR5, CCR10–interleukin (IL)-2 and CCR10–IL-4.Results The CCR10+ cells in AD showed a mixed IL-2/IL-4 expression pattern, and a minor proportion expressed CCR4, whereas a large proportion of the CCR4+ cells did not express CCR10. In psoriasis the CCR10+ cells only expressed IL-2, and no CCR4 expression was detected.Conclusions The CCR10+ lymphocytes invading the skin in AD and psoriasis have different Th1/Th2 profiles, as measured by both their cytokine and chemokine receptor expression. This suggests that the CCR10+ subpopulation of lymphocytes is made up of different Th1/Th2 subsets. However, the Th1/Th2 lymphocytes of AD and psoriasis were either CCR10+ or CCR10–, suggesting that both the Th1 and Th2 subpopulation can be subdivided further. CCR4 was found only in AD skin and on both CCR10+ and CCR10– cells, supporting the hypothesis of TARC and CTACK as being independent lymphocyte-attracting chemokines in AD.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2133.2003.05505.x
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