An Immunohistochemical Study of Molluscum Contagiosum / 대한피부과학회지

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Molluscum contagiosum is a common viral infect oudisease of the skin and mucous membrane that is caused by a molluscum contagiosum virus(MCV; which belongs to the poxviridae family. One of the characteristic histopathologic findings is an epidermal hyperplasia Porter and Archard reported that this phenomenon might be explained by a virus induced epidermal growth factor (EGF) like polypeptide. There was a report that epidermal prolifeation in viral infection might be modulated by other factors than the virus itself such as local immune response. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine the expression pattern of epidermal growth factor receptor and other immunocompetent cells by immunohistochemical stainings. METHOD: We performed iinmunoperoxidase staining on the 11 slaecmens of formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded molluscum lesions and 15 specimens of snap frozen mollucum lesions with nine primary antibodies(EGFR, factor XIIIa, CDla, S-100 protein, MAC 387, HLA-IR, CD4, CDS, L26) RESULTS: EGF receptors were strongly expressed in lesional MCV ifect,ed keratinocytes. The number of CDla and factor XIIIa positive dermal dendritic cells were sigtly increased. In inflamed lesions, CD4 and HLA-DR expressions were increased in the dermis and per lesional epidermis. CONCLUSION: This study shows that 1) increased EGFR expression is of MCV infected keratinocytes may be related to the pathogenesis of epidermal hyperplasia. 2) helper T lyrnphocytes may operate in inflamed molluscum lesions.