title: Histochemical and immunohistochemical study on the skin of patients with ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament in the cervical spine.
abstract: We present an immunohistochemical study on extracellular matrix (ECM), decorin, in the epidermis and dermis of patients with ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL) to clarify the abnormality in the extracellular matrix of the skin of OPLL. Localization of decorin and TGF-beta in the skin was studied. All patients with OPLL showed a diffuse strong staining of decorin in the entire epidermal layer. The epidermis was also positive for TGF-beta antibody staining. Patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy showed weak or no staining of decorin. Abnormality in the regulating system of TGF-beta may be involved in the precipitation of extracellular matrix.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Kagoshima University, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Imamura
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sakou
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Matsunaga
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Taketomi
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ishido
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yoshida
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000473:pathology*; D004817:Epidermis / Q000473:pathology; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017887:Ossification of Posterior Longitudinal Ligament / Q000473:pathology*; D012867:Skin / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology*; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta