- Author:
Woo Jin YUN
1
;
Deok Woo LEE
;
Sung Eun CHANG
;
Ghil Suk YOON
;
Joo Ryung HUH
;
Chong Hyun WON
;
Mi Woo LEE
;
Sung Eun KIM
;
Beom Joon KIM
;
Kee Chan MOON
;
Jee Ho CHOI
Author Information
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords: CD4(+)CD25(high+)regulatory T cells; FOXP3; Psoriasis
- MeSH: Autoimmune Diseases; Flow Cytometry; Humans; Immunohistochemistry; Psoriasis; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; Skin; T-Lymphocytes; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory
- From:Annals of Dermatology 2010;22(4):397-403
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
- Abstract: BACKGROUND: CD4(+)CD25(high+)regulatory T cells (Tregs) are considered to be of vital importance for maintaining immunologic self-tolerance and preventing autoimmune diseases. These cells have been found to be deficient in skin lesions and in the peripheral blood of patients with psoriasis. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the role of Tregs in the pathogenesis of psoriasis and to evaluate the changes in Tregs in relation to the severity and the clinical course of psoriasis. METHODS: Immunohistochemistry (CD3, 4, 8, 79 and FOXP3) was performed in 22 psoriatic patients compared to 5 normal controls. Flow cytometry (CD3, 4, 8, 25 and FOXP3) was performed in 18 psoriatic patients and 8 normal volunteers and reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (foxp3 mRNA) was performed in 8 psoriasis patients. RESULTS: An increase in the FOXP3(+) cell fraction was detected in the lesional psoriatic skin irrespective of the severity of psoriasis as compared with the normal skin. However, a decrease in FOXP3(+) cells was observed in the samples obtained from psoriasis of 'acute course'. FOXP3(+) Treg populations in the blood of the 'acute course' psoriasis was not different compared to that of 'chronic course' psoriasis and normal controls. CONCLUSION: The deficiency of FOXP3(+) Tregs in the lesional psoriatic skin might be responsible for the exacerbation of psoriasis.