title: Psoriatic keratinocytes express high levels of nerve growth factor.
abstract: Many investigators have reported proliferation of terminal cutaneous nerves and upregulation of various neuropeptides (substance P, vasoactive intestinal polypeptide, calcitonin gene-related peptide) in psoriatic lesions. Nerve growth factor promotes growth of nerves and causes upregulation of neuropeptides like substance P and calcitonin gene-related peptide. In this study we investigated the expression of nerve growth factor in psoriatic lesions, non-lesional psoriatic skin, lichen planus and normal control skin. Immunoperoxidase staining was applied on cryosections prepared from snap-frozen biopsy specimens. The primary antibody used was a polyclonal anti-NGF-beta antibody. Nerve growth factor was detected only in the keratinocytes. In psoriatic tissue the number of keratinocytes per square millimeter of epidermis positive for nerve growth factor was 84.7 +/- 46.3 compared to 44.8 +/- 29.9, 18.9 +/- 11.8 and 7.5 +/- 16.9, respectively, in non-lesional psoriatic skin, normal skin and lichen planus. Increased expression of nerve growth factor substantiates larger numbers of terminal cutaneous nerves and upregulations of substance P and calcitonin gene-related peptide in psoriatic lesions. In addition, nerve growth factor is mitogenic to keratinocytes, activates T-lymphocytes and can induce migration of inflammatory cellular infiltrates, histological features characteristic of psoriasis.
authors.affiliation: Psoriasis Research Institute, Palo Alto, California USA.
authors.forename: S P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Raychaudhuri
authors.forename: W Y
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Farber
mesh_terms: D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D015603:Keratinocytes / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D008010:Lichen Planus / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000032:analysis*; D011565:Psoriasis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D012867:Skin / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D013373:Substance P / Q000032:analysis; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D013373:Substance P; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide