Immunopathological aspects of etretinate therapy in lichen planus.
Biopsy specimens of involved and uninvolved skin were studied in 8 patients suffering from generalized lichen planus (LP) before and after successful etretinate treatment using murine monoclonal antibodies against several cell surface markers of effector and/or accessory cells of the immune system. In contrast to untreated LP-lesions, in biopsies obtained after etretinate therapy from healed involved skin a markedly disintegrated HLA-DR expression on keratinocytes and intraepidermal Langerhans cells and a nearly total loss of suppressor/cytotoxic T lymphocytes at the dermo-epidermal interface were found. Our data emphasize the key position of the class II antigen expression on various immunocompetent cells, as a marker for a cell-mediated immune reaction, on the other hand, stress the involvement of keratinocytes, Langerhans cells and suppressor/cytotoxic T lymphocytes in the pathogenesis of LP.
Simon
M
M
Department of Dermatology, University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, FRG.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005050:Etretinate / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006680:HLA Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D008010:Lichen Planus / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012867:Skin / Q000473:pathology
D006680:HLA Antigens; D005050:Etretinate