title: The effects of acute social stress on epidermal Langerhans' cell frequency and expression of cutaneous neuropeptides.
abstract: Psychological stress is believed to exacerbate inflammatory skin disease but the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. We investigated the impact of acute social stress--Trier public speaking test--on: epidermal Langerhans' cell (LC) frequency; and cutaneous nerve fiber expression of protein gene product (PGP) 9.5 and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP). Thirty-six healthy volunteers each had a pair of baseline 6 mm biopsies taken from sun-protected buttock skin. A second pair of biopsies was taken from contralateral buttock 4 hours (n=5) or 24 hours (n=15) after the Trier stressor. Controls (n=16) did not perform the Trier and had biopsies 24 hours apart. One of each pair of biopsies (baseline; 4 or 24 hours) was processed for counts of epidermal CD1a(+) LC; the other examined for PGP 9.5 and CGRP expression. We observed a significant (P<0.01) 16.4% reduction in epidermal LC frequency 24 hours post-stressor as compared with baseline; there was no significant change from baseline in non-stressed controls. At 24 hours, PGP 9.5 and CGRP were increased (P=0.025) and reduced (P=0.03), respectively, from baseline in the stressed group compared with controls. These data suggest that acute social stress reduces epidermal LC frequency and modulates cutaneous neuropeptide expression thereby supporting the concept of a "brain-skin" axis.
authors.affiliation: Dermatological Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
authors.forename: C Elise
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Kleyn
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Schneider
authors.forename: Rosita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Saraceno
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mantovani
authors.forename: Helen L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Richards
authors.forename: Donal G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Fortune
authors.forename: Marie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cumberbatch
authors.forename: Rebecca J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Dearman
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Terenghi
authors.forename: Ian
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kimber
authors.forename: Christopher E M
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Griffiths
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide / Q000378:metabolism; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000276:immunology; D000078404:Epidermal Cells; D004817:Epidermis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000294:innervation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007801:Langerhans Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009411:Nerve Endings / Q000378:metabolism; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000378:metabolism*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000276:immunology*; D043222:Ubiquitin Thiolesterase / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D009479:Neuropeptides; C482860:UCHL1 protein, human; D043222:Ubiquitin Thiolesterase; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide