Expression of nuclear factor ?B and the effect of topical tacrolimus ointment on lesional atopic dermatitis skin / 北京大学学报(医学版)

ABSTRACT

Objective: To investigate the role of nuclear factor ?B (Rel/NF-?B) in pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis(AD) and the effect of topical 0.1%(mass fraction) or 0.03%(mass fraction) tacrolimus ointment on expression of NF-?B in lesional AD skin. Methods: Immunohistochemistry has been employed to study the expression of NF-?B in normal skin and lesional AD skin before and after using topical tacrolimus ointment. Results: The expressions of NF-?Bp50 and NF-?Bp65 were scattering or negative in normal keratinocytes. NF-?Bp50 was overexpressed on nuclear of basal and suprabasal keratinocytes in 9 cases of AD, NF-?Bp65 was overexpressed in cytoplasm and perinuclear of basal and suprabasal keratinocytes. After using topical tacrolimus ointment for three weeks , nuclear NF-?Bp50 expressed on basal and suprabasal keratinocytes were lost and NF-?Bp50 was expressed sparsely on basal keratinocytes cytoplasm or nuclear. NF-?Bp65 was expressed sparsely on basal and suprabasal keratinocytes cytoplasm. Conclusion: These data suggest that increased NF-?B activity may represent the basis of initiation or maintenance of the skin inflammatory response in atopic dermatitis. Topical tacrolimus may directly or indirectly inhibit NF-?B nuclear expression in keratinocytes and inhibit skin innate immuno-inflammatory response in atopic dermatitis that related to NF-?B.