RÉSUMÉ
Objective:To investigate the role of chemokine receptor CX3CR1 in chronic skin inflammation and its regulatory mechanism.Methods:Wild type (WT) C57BL/6 mice and Cx3 cr1 GFP/GFP mice were induced by DNFB to establish acute and chronic allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) model. Ear inflammation and swelling were observed with hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining. Flow cytometry (FCM) was used to detect the changes in classical Langerhans cell (LC) and monocyte-derived LC (Mo-LC), as well as the expression of major histocompatibility complex Ⅱ (MHCⅡ), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and TNF-α. Changes in epidermal LC in UV irradiation-induced dermatitis models were also analyzed. In human chronic skin inflammation, CX3CL1 expression was detected using immunohistochemistry, RT-PCR and Western blot and CD1a, CD14 and CD207 expression was observed with immunofluorescence staining. Results:In the chronic ACD model, Cx3 cr1 GFP/GFP mice showed significantly alleviated ear inflammatory and swelling as compared with WT mice, but no significant difference was found in the acute ACD model. The percentages of Mo-LC were decreased in the chronic ACD model and after three weeks of UV irradiation. Moreover, MHCⅡ, TNF-α and iNOS expressed by Mo-LC were significantly upregulated as compared with those by classical LC. CX3CL1 expression was significantly upregulated and the numbers of CD14 + monocytes and CD1a + langerin - Mo-LC were dramatically increased in human chronic skin inflammation. Conclusions:CX3CR1 might maintain inflammatory response by regulating local remodeling of Mo-LC in chronic skin inflammation.