title: Expression of cellular retinoid-binding proteins during normal and abnormal epidermal differentiation.
abstract: Retinoids have important roles in growth and differentiation of epidermal cells. We have analyzed the expression of two intracellular retinoid-binding proteins, the cellular retinol-binding protein type I and the cellular retinoic acid-binding protein type I, during normal and abnormal epidermal differentiation. Both proteins were found to be expressed in normal epidermis with increasing expression from basal layer towards superficial layers. In psoriatic lesions, a hyperproliferative condition of the skin, the epidermal expression of cellular retinol-binding protein I was induced, whereas expression of cellular retinoic acid-binding protein I was sharply down-regulated. This and other features of psoriatic lesions indicate that down-regulation of cellular retinoic acid-binding protein I expression might cause aberrant retinoid-regulated gene expression in skin. In basal and squamous cell carcinomas, cellular retinoic acid-binding protein I expression was down-regulated, whereas cellular retinol-binding protein I was expressed. Apart from epidermal cells, a mesenchymal, dendritic cell-type, strongly expressing cellular retinoic acid-binding protein I, was identified in the dermis. In several hyperproliferative conditions of the skin, including psoriasis, and squamous and basal cell carcinomas, this cell type was abundant. These results have implications for the role of retinoids in normal and abnormal epidermal differentiation and suggest that part of the phenotype of psoriasis is due to inappropriate metabolism of retinoic acid in skin.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Busch
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Siegenthaler
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vahlquist
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nordlinder
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sundelin
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Saksena
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Eriksson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000906:Antibodies; D002280:Basal Cell Carcinoma / Q000737:chemistry; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000737:chemistry; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011565:Psoriasis / Q000378:metabolism; D018168:Receptors, Retinoic Acid; D012177:Retinol-Binding Proteins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology; D054840:Retinol-Binding Proteins, Cellular; D012867:Skin / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000166:cytology; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D018168:Receptors, Retinoic Acid; D012177:Retinol-Binding Proteins; D054840:Retinol-Binding Proteins, Cellular