Autoantibodies in the autoimmune disease pemphigus foliaceus induce blistering via p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase-dependent signaling in the skin.
Pemphigus foliaceus (PF) is a human autoimmune blistering disease in which a humoral immune response targeting the skin results in a loss of keratinocyte cell-cell adhesion in the superficial layers of the epidermal epithelium. In PF, desmoglein-1-specific autoantibodies induce blistering. Evidence is beginning to accumulate that activation of signaling may have an important role in the ability of pathogenic pemphigus IgGs to induce blistering and that both p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and heat shock protein (HSP) 27 are part of this signaling pathway. This study was undertaken to investigate the ability of PF IgGs to activate signaling as well as the contribution of this signaling pathway to blister induction in an in vivo model of PF. Phosphorylation of both p38 MAPK and HSP25, the murine HSP27 homolog, was observed in the skin of PF IgG-treated mice. Furthermore, inhibition of p38 MAPK blocked the ability of PF IgGs to induce blistering in vivo. These results indicate that PF IgG-induced blistering is dependent on activation of p38 MAPK in the target keratinocyte. Rather than influencing the immune system, limiting the autoantibody-induced intracellular signaling response that leads to target end-organ damage may be a more viable therapeutic strategy for the treatment of autoimmune diseases. Inhibition of p38 MAPK may be an effective strategy for the treatment of PF.
Berkowitz
Paula
P
Department of Dermatology, The University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7287, USA.
Chua
Michael
M
Liu
Zhi
Z
Diaz
Luis A
LA
Rubenstein
David S
DS
D000818:Animals; D001768:Blister / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000502:physiology; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000276:immunology; D015603:Keratinocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D020935:MAP Kinase Signaling System / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018832:Molecular Chaperones; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D010392:Pemphigus / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000276:immunology*; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism
D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins; C486113:Hsbp1 protein, mouse; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D018832:Molecular Chaperones; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases