Effects of Cyclosporine on the Cutaneous Lymphocyte-associated Antigen (CLA) Expression of the Lymphocytes in Psoriatic Skin / 대한피부과학회지

The cutaneous lymphocyte-associated antigen(CLA) has been proposed as a homing receptor for the selective migration of memory T cells into the skin. To investigate the effect of cyclosporine on the expression of CLA of the lymphocytes infiltrated in psoriatic lesions, CLA expression was assessed by the immunohistochemistry(HECA-452 epitope) with skin samples from 9 patients at time sequential(before treatment, 3 weeks, 6 weeks, and 12 weeks after initiation of treatment). CD3+ or CD4+ cells were also analyzed by immunohistochemistry on the same skin samples. Mean CLA expression on the infiltrated lymphocytes was decreased continuously during 12 weeks treatment with a further decrease during 3-6 weeks. CD3+ or CD4+ cells were decreased rapidly during the first 3 weeks of treatment. Although most CLA+ lymphocytes overlap with CD3 or CD4+ cells, cyclosporine could have therapeutic effects by differential decrease of CD3, CD4, or CLA+ cells during treatment period. In conclusion, reflecting the importance of CLA expression on the lymphocytes infiltrated in psoriatic lesion, one of the mechanisms to treat psoriasis may result from selective decrease of CLA+ T cells by cyclosporine in psoriatic lesions.

The Expression of CLA(Cutaneous Lymphocyte-Associated Antigen) in the Cutaneous Lymphoma / 대한피부과학회지

BACKGROUND: A pathogenesis of skin-homing lymphoid cells in primary cutaneous T-eell lymphoma(CTCL) has not been elucidated, CLA(cutaneous lymphocyte-associated antigen) defined by HECA-452 monoclonal anfibody has been proposed as the novel skin-homing receptors of infiltrative lymphocytes in atopic dermatitis and graft-versus-host disease. Accordingly, CLA may be a determinant explaining about the skin-homing properties of lymphoid tumor cells in CTCL. OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to investigate the immunohistochemical expression of CLA in the lesional tissue specimens of cutaneous lymphomas. METHODS: Immunohistochemicslly, we examined the expression of CLA, E-selectin, ICAM-1 and LFA-1 antigens in the tissue specimens taken from the skin lesions and lymph nodes of the 22 patients with cutaneous lymphomas and the 20 control subjects with non-cutaneous lymphomas. Results : 1. The expression rate of CLA was 40.9% in the skin specimens of cutaneous lymphomas. We could not fad any expression of CLA in non-cutaneous lymphomas. 2. CTCL showed a more frequent expression of CLA(80%) than cutaneous B-cell lymphomas (CBCL)(8.3%). We found more frequently CLA+ high endothelial venules in non-cutaneous lymphomas(40%) than in cutaneous lymphomas(9.1%). 3. CLA and E-selectin were more frequently expressed in primary CTCL(100%, 83.3%) than in secondary CTCL(50%, 0%). 4. The positivity to ICAM-1 and LFA-1 antigens was higher in primary cutaneous lymphomas (72.7%, 81.8%) than in secondary forms(9.1%, 9.1%). Conclusion : CLA and E-selectin may represent the pivotal skin-homing receptor of infiltrative tumor cells and vascular counter-receptor in primary CTCL, respectively. Also, ICAM-1 and LFA-1 may have a role in the primary cutaneous infiltration of lymphoma cells as the additional cofactors.