title: Increased epidermal functioning wild-type p53 expression in vitiligo.
abstract: Despite the lack of protective melanin and increased oxidative stress due to mM concentrations of epidermal H2O2 in vitiligo, there is no significantly increased risk for chronic actinic damage and non-melanoma skin cancer. Therefore the question arises, which protective mechanisms could be involved in the skin of these patients preventing the initiation of these cancers. Recently an overexpression of p53 has been shown in vitiligo. Unfortunately there was no further characterization of this elevated p53. Employing a functional colour yeast assay, the study presented herein demonstrates for the first time the overexpression of a functioning wild-type p53 protein in both depigmented and 'normal' pigmented epidermis of patients with vitiligo compared with healthy controls. Surprisingly long-term narrowband UVB (311 nm) treatment does not alter this expression. Moreover, MDM-2, PCNA and p21 protein expression remain unchanged compared with healthy controls. This increased epidermal p53 in vitiligo coincides with decreased thioredoxin reductase (TR) protein levels in both depigmented and pigmented skin whereas mRNA expression is unaffected. Because TR is one transcriptional target of p53, these results support a wild-type functionality, which was further supported by the specific p53 FASAY yeast test. To our knowledge this is the first example of persistent elevated functioning wild-type p53 in humans. Based on our results we hypothesize that the low incidence for actinic damage, basal cell and squamous cell carcinoma as documented in vitiligo could well reside in a protective function of up-regulated wild-type p53.
authors.affiliation: Clinical and Experimental Dermatology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Bradford, West Yorkshire, UK. K.Schallreuter@bradford.ac.uk
authors.forename: Karin U
authors.initials: KU
authors.lastname: Schallreuter
authors.forename: Stefanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Behrens-Williams
authors.forename: Tahira P
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Khaliq
authors.forename: Steven M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Picksley
authors.forename: Eva M J
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Peters
authors.forename: Lee K
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Marles
authors.forename: Wiete
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Westerhof
authors.forename: Bärbel
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Miehe
authors.forename: Jochen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fanghänel
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003600:Cytosol / Q000502:physiology; D004817:Epidermis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000502:physiology / Q000528:radiation effects; D006801:Humans; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen / Q000235:genetics; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D051736:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-mdm2; D016283:Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras) / Q000235:genetics; D054481:Thioredoxin Reductase 1; D013880:Thioredoxin-Disulfide Reductase / Q000235:genetics; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays; D014820:Vitiligo / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*
chemical_list: D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide; C516124:TXNRD1 protein, human; D054481:Thioredoxin Reductase 1; D013880:Thioredoxin-Disulfide Reductase; C497206:MDM2 protein, human; D051736:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-mdm2; C501009:HRAS protein, human; D016283:Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras)