ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disorder histopathologically characterized by epidermal hyperplasia, vascular proliferation, and inflammatory infiltrates. It runs a less severe course in women than in men. The role of estrogen in the pathogenesis of psoriasis remains unclear. OBJECTIVE: We investigated the clinicohistopathological differences between men and women with psoriasis and examined whether serum estrogen levels and immunohistochemical findings correlate with gender and disease severity. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 500 patients with psoriasis. Among these patients, 60 who consented to participate in the study were classified into four groups as follows: 10 men showing psoriasis on < 10% of their body surface area (BSA) with psoriasis area severity index (PASI) < 10; 20 men showing psoriasis on ≥10% of their BSA with PASI≥10; 10 women showing psoriasis on < 10% of their BSA with PASI < 10; and 20 women showing psoriasis on ≥10% of their BSA with PASI ≥10. Serum estrogen levels were measured using radioimmunoassay. Immunohistochemical staining of skin biopsy tissues was performed using ERα, ERβ, and CCL5. RESULTS: Men diagnosed with psoriasis showed higher BSA and PASI scores than women. Women aged ≥60 years showed higher BSA and PASI scores than women aged < 60 years. There were no histological differences between the four groups. Serum estrogen levels were higher in the patients presenting with mild psoriasis, as well as in women. ERα, ERβ, and CCL5 showed a stronger staining tendency in patients with more severe psoriasis. CONCLUSION: Gender influences the severity of psoriasis, and estrogen plays an important role. This finding is explained by the fact that estrogen decreases inflammation in psoriasis possibly via its action on estrogen receptors in epidermal keratinocytes.
Subject(s)
Female , Humans , Male , Biopsy , Body Surface Area , Estrogens , Hyperplasia , Immunohistochemistry , Inflammation , Keratinocytes , Medical Records , Psoriasis , Radioimmunoassay , Receptors, Estrogen , Retrospective Studies , SkinABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Keloids are characterized by excessive collagen deposition in the dermis, in which transforming growth factor β (TGF-β)/Smad signaling plays an important role. Low-level light therapy (LLLT) is reported as effective in preventing keloids in clinical reports, recently. To date, studies investigating the effect of LLLT on keloid fibroblasts are extremely rare. OBJECTIVE: We investigated the effect of LLLT with blue (410 nm), red (630 nm), and infrared (830 nm) light on the collagen synthesis in keloid fibroblasts. METHODS: Keloid fibroblasts were isolated from keloid-revision surgery samples and irradiated using 410-, 630-, 830-nm light emitting diode twice, with a 24-hour interval at 10 J/cm². After irradiation, cells were incubated for 24 and 48 hours and real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction was performed. Western blot analysis was also performed in 48 hours after last irradiation. The genes and proteins of collagen type I, TGF-β1, Smad3, and Smad7 were analyzed. RESULTS: We observed no statistically significant change in the viability of keloid fibroblasts after irradiation. Collagen type I was the only gene whose expression significantly decreased after irradiation at 410 nm when compared to the non-irradiated control. Western blot analysis showed that LLLT at 410 nm lowered the protein levels of collagen type I compared to the control. CONCLUSION: LLLT at 410 nm decreased the expression of collagen type I in keloid fibroblasts and might be effective in preventing keloid formation in their initial stage.
Subject(s)
Humans , Blotting, Western , Collagen Type I , Collagen , Dermis , Fibroblasts , In Vitro Techniques , Keloid , Low-Level Light Therapy , Polymerase Chain Reaction , Reverse Transcription , Transforming Growth FactorsABSTRACT
Bowen disease (BD), or intraepithelial squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), may progress to an invasive SCC. Although surgery is preferred because of the low recurrence rate, it can result in hypertrophic scarringor contracture, particularly in lesions on the hands. We report a case of BD in the first web space of the hand, which was treated with ablative fractional laser-assisted photodynamic therapy (AFXL-assisted PDT). After multiple AFXL-assisted PDT sessions, the lesion showed no clinical or pathological abnormalities. Thus, we believe that PDT can be an alternative treatment for BD occurring in the web space of the hand.
Subject(s)
Bowen's Disease , Carcinoma, Squamous Cell , Contracture , Hand , Photochemotherapy , RecurrenceABSTRACT
No abstract available.
Subject(s)
Adrenal Cortex Hormones , Lasers, Excimer , Tacrolimus , VitiligoABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: It is difficult to distinguish between actinic cheilitis and lichen planus histologically, because both types of lesions exhibit variable degrees of epidermal dysplasia and dermal lichenoid inflammation. There is currently no consensus on suitable immunohistochemical markers for distinguishing these 2 conditions. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to determine histological features and immunohistochemical markers that could be used to differentiate actinic cheilitis from lichen planus. METHODS: Fifteen cases of actinic cheilitis and 11 cases of lichen planus of the lips were included in the study. Histological changes such as parakeratosis, hyperkeratosis, atrophy, acanthosis, ulceration, necrosis, dermal solar elastosis, degrees of epidermal dysplasia and dermal inflammatory cell infiltration were examined. Verhoeff-van Gieson stained sections were quantified for the degree of elastosis using computer software. The following immunohistochemical markers were stained for: bcl-2, Ki-67, proliferating cell nuclear antigen, indoleamine 2, 3-dioxygenase, matrix metalloproteinase-3, matrix metalloproteinase-9, CD4, CD8, c-kit, and prolyl-4-hydroxylase. RESULTS: The only histologically appreciable difference between the diseases was the degree of epidermal dysplasia. No differences were observed with respect to solar elastosis using the Verhoeff-van Gieson stain. We found that cell proliferation markers such as proliferating cell nuclear antigen and Ki-67 were more highly expressed in actinic cheilitis than in lichen planus. In addition, the number of c-kit-positive cells observed in actinic cheilitis was significantly higher than in lichen planus. The expression levels of the other tested markers were not significantly different between the 2 diseases. CONCLUSION: The immunohistochemical markers proliferating cell nuclear antigen, Ki-67, and c-kit may help to differentiate actinic cheilitis from lichen planus of the lips.