title: Immunopathogenesis of folliculitis decalvans: clues in early lesions.
abstract: Folliculitis decalvans (FD) is a rare variant of primary cicatricial alopecia, for which the etiopathogenesis remains unclear. Our purpose was to evaluate whether certain immunologic mechanisms might have a significant role in the pathogenesis of FD. Lesional scalp biopsy specimens from 7 patients with FD, 7 with lichen planopilaris, and 4 with alopecia areata were studied immunohistochemically by using monoclonal antibodies to CD1a, CD3, CD4, CD8, CD20, CD25, HLA-DR, interleukin (IL)-1beta, IL-4, IL-8, interferon gamma, tumor necrosis factor alpha, basic fibroblast growth factor (b-FGF), transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta, endothelial leukocyte adhesion molecule 1, intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM)-1, and vascular cell adhesion molecule. We showed that early FD lesions are characterized by an infiltration of activated T-helper cells, featuring mixed TH1/TH2 polarization. IL-8 and ICAM-1 may contribute to the infiltration of neutrophils, whereas b-FGF and TGF-beta may represent important mediators of the fibrosis that characterizes late-phase FD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatological Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Caterina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chiarini
authors.forename: Daniele
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Torchia
authors.forename: Beatrice
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bianchi
authors.forename: Walter
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Volpi
authors.forename: Marzia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Caproni
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fabbri
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000505:Alopecia / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D000506:Alopecia Areata / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000378:metabolism; D016209:Interleukin-8 / Q000378:metabolism; D008010:Lichen Planus / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D016209:Interleukin-8; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1