title: Expression profile of chemokines and chemokine receptors in epithelial cell layers of oral lichen planus.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To understand the immunopathological features of oral lichen planus (OLP), we analyzed the expression of chemokines in the epithelial cell layers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Epithelia from OLP or healthy gingiva were collected by laser microdissection. The chemokine and chemokine receptor expressions in the epithelia were analyzed by DNA microarray.
  
  
  RESULTS
  High levels of MIP-3alpha/LARC/CCL20 and its receptor CCR6 were expressed in the lesional epithelia. Furthermore, DC-CK1/CCL18, ELC/CCL19, SDF-1/CXCL12 and CXCR4 expressions were also increased. Immunohistologial analysis showed that high numbers of Langerhans cells (LCs) were present in the epithelia of OLP. Lesional epithelia also expressed high levels of the ligands specific for CXCR3 (e.g. MIG/CXCL9, IP-10/CXCL10 and I-TAC/CXCL11) and CCR5 (e.g. RANTES/CCL5).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Infiltration of LCs is orchestrated by CCR6. Further, LCs residing in the lesional epithelia may be a mature phenotype. Moreover, infiltration of T cells in OLP could be mediated by signaling pathways through CXCR3 and CCR5.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Nihon University School of Dentistry at Matsudo, Chiba, Japan.
authors.forename: Mana
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ichimura
authors.forename: Koichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hiratsuka
authors.forename: Naomi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ogura
authors.forename: Tadahiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Utsunomiya
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sakamaki
authors.forename: Toshirou
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kondoh
authors.forename: Yoshimitsu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Abiko
authors.forename: Shigeo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Otake
authors.forename: Masafumi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
mesh_terms: D018925:Chemokines / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000276:immunology; D004848:Epithelium / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D017676:Lichen Planus, Oral / Q000276:immunology*; D019707:Receptors, Chemokine / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D018925:Chemokines; D019707:Receptors, Chemokine