title: Dual effects of CGRP-antagonist on allergic contact dermatitis in human skin.
abstract: There is increasing evidence of an interaction between the nervous and the immune systems. The aim of this study was to investigate the rôle of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) in the modulation of the elicitation of immediate and delayed, immunological and non-immunological reactions in human skin. CGRP (13 pmol and 39 pmol), and the CGRP-antagonist, CGRP/8-37/, (50 pmol and 500 pmol) were injected intracutaneously prior to provocation tests. Patients with allergy to nickel were provoked with nickel sulfate epicutaneously, and the reactions were evaluated by a clinical scoring system (guidelines of the International Contact Dermatitis Research Group). Patients with allergy to birch pollen were provoked by a prick test with the allergen, and the volume of the weals was measured. The patients were also provoked with tuberculin (delayed immunologic reaction), benzalkonium chloride (irritant contact dermatitis), UV-light and benzoic acid (non-immunologic contact urticaria). The test reactions were estimated by planimetry. CGRP/8-37/ exerted dual effects on allergic contact dermatitis, causing potentiation at a dose of 500 pmol (p= 0.004) and inhibition at a dose of 50 pmol (p=0.012). Other reactions were not significantly affected by the pretreatments. The results suggest that CGRP participates in delayed inflammatory reactions, but is not involved in immediate immunologic reactions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University Hospital, Lund, Sweden.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wallengren
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D017449:Dermatitis, Allergic Contact / Q000503:physiopathology; D003877:Dermatitis, Contact / Q000503:physiopathology*; D017453:Dermatitis, Irritant / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006969:Hypersensitivity, Immediate / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000276:immunology; D009532:Nickel / Q000276:immunology; D010328:Patch Tests; D011058:Pollen / Q000276:immunology; D012882:Skin Tests; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D014581:Urticaria / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D009479:Neuropeptides; D009532:Nickel; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide