title: Involvement of the corticotropin-releasing hormone system in the pathogenesis of acne vulgaris.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The sebaceous gland exhibits an independent peripheral endocrine function and expresses receptors for neuropeptides. Previous reports have confirmed the presence of a complete corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) system in human sebocytes in vitro. The capability of hypothalamic CRH to induce lipid synthesis, induce steroidogenesis and interact with testosterone and growth hormone implicates a possibility of its involvement in the clinical development of acne.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of the study was to detect expression changes of CRH/CRH binding protein (CRHBP)/CRH receptors (CRHRs) in acne-involved skin, especially in the sebaceous glands.
  
  
  METHODS
  Expression of CRH/CRHBP/CRHRs was analysed by immunohistochemistry in biopsies from facial skin of 33 patients with acne, noninvolved thigh skin of the same patients and normal skin of eight age-matched healthy volunteers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Very strong positive reaction for CRH was observed in acne-involved skin in all types of sebaceous gland cells, irrespective of their differentiation stage, whereas in noninvolved and normal skin sebaceous glands exhibited a weaker CRH staining depending upon the differentiation stage of sebocytes. The strongest reaction for CRHBP in acne-involved sebaceous glands was in differentiating sebocytes. CRHR-1 and CRHR-2 exhibited the strongest expression in sweat glands and sebaceous glands, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Expression of the complete CRH system is abundant in acne-involved skin, especially in the sebaceous glands, possibly activating pathways which affect immune and inflammatory processes leading to the development and stress-induced exacerbation of acne.
authors.affiliation: Centre of Dermatovenereology, Vilnius University Hospital, Santariskiu Klinikos, Vilnius, Lithuania.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ganceviciene
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Graziene
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fimmel
authors.forename: C C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Zouboulis
mesh_terms: D000152:Acne Vulgaris / Q000209:etiology* / Q000235:genetics; D000293:Adolescent; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005145:Face; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D018019:Receptors, Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012627:Sebaceous Glands / Q000378:metabolism*; D013848:Thigh; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D009479:Neuropeptides; D018019:Receptors, Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone