Lesional Expression of Heat Shock Protein 70 in Pemphigus / 대한피부과학회지

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Heat shock proteins (HSP), especially the HSP 70 family, may play certain roles in the immunophysiology of some skin diseases such as psoriasis, pemphigus, and lichen planus. HSPs generally induce down-regulation of the process of apoptosis that is considered to be one of the acantholysis-producing pathways in pemphigus. OBJECTIVE: We planned to examine possible roles of HSPs 70/105 in the blistering process in pemphigus vulgaris (PV) and pemphigus foliaceus (PF), in connection with the detection results of apoptosis in local tissue specimens. METHODS: Immunohistochemical stainings and Western blot analysis were performed for the detection and semiquantitation of HSPs 70/105 in skin specimens from lesional, nonlesional, and normal control sites. Hoechst 33342 staining was simultaneously carried out to examine features of apoptosis in lesional skin specimens. RESULTS: The findings on expression of HSP were as follows. In PV, the expression of HSP 70 was minimum or negative; however, in PF, the expression was obvious and recognizable in lesional and perilesional normal skin. In contrast, HSP 105 was not detected in all cases of PV and PF. The features of apoptosis were evident at the lesional skin of all cases of pemphigus with acantholytic changes. CONCLUSION: PV and PF had different relative intensities of HSPs in lesional tissue stainings, especially in cases with HSP 70. This suggests that there may be subtle differences in the mechanisms causing acantholysis between PV and PF.