Expression pattern of chemokine receptors and chemokine release in inflammatory erythroderma and Sézary syndrome.
BACKGROUND
Erythroderma can be caused by inflammatory dermatoses or cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. Even if chemokines and their receptors are involved in the skin-selective lymphocyte recruitment, their role in inflammatory erythroderma is yet unclear.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the chemokine release (TARC, MDC, IP-10) and to define the expression pattern of Th1- (CCR5, CXCR3) and Th2-related (CCR4) chemokine receptors in inflammatory erythroderma and Sézary syndrome (SS).


METHODS
Flow cytometry has been carried out on both circulating and skin-infiltrating T lymphocytes; serum chemokine levels have been evaluated using ELISA techniques.


RESULTS
CCR4, CCR5 and CXCR3 were expressed on about 40% of peripheral blood lymphocytes and on the majority of skin-infiltrating lymphocytes in the inflammatory erythroderma patients, whereas the leukemic CD4+CD26- subpopulation in SS was characterized by a high CCR4 expression without a concurrent increase in CCR5 or CXCR3. TARC, MDC and IP-10 serum levels were significantly increased in both erythrodermic and SS patients.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results confirm that SS is a Th2 disorder with a selective expression of CCR4, whereas inflammatory erythroderma shares an overexpression of both Th1- and Th2-related chemokine receptors, suggesting an activation of different pathways driving reactive lymphocytes to the skin.
Fierro
Maria Teresa
MT
Section of Dermatology, Department of Medical Sciences and Human Oncology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy. mariateresa.fierro@unito.it
Comessatti
Alessandra
A
Quaglino
Pietro
P
Ortoncelli
Michela
M
Osella Abate
Simona
S
Ponti
Renata
R
Novelli
Mauro
M
Bernengo
Maria Grazia
MG
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D054414:Chemokine CCL17; D018925:Chemokines / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D019742:Chemokines, CC / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D002634:Chemotaxis, Leukocyte / Q000276:immunology; D003873:Dermatitis, Exfoliative / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D054398:Receptors, CCR4; D019713:Receptors, CCR5 / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D054367:Receptors, CXCR3; D019707:Receptors, Chemokine / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood; D018121:Receptors, Cytokine / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D012751:Sezary Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology
C106230:CCL17 protein, human; C515354:CCR4 protein, human; C515187:CXCR3 protein, human; D054414:Chemokine CCL17; D018925:Chemokines; D019742:Chemokines, CC; C104577:IP10-Mig receptor; D054398:Receptors, CCR4; D019713:Receptors, CCR5; D054367:Receptors, CXCR3; D019707:Receptors, Chemokine; D018121:Receptors, Cytokine