title: Plasmin plays an essential role in amplification of psoriasiform skin inflammation in mice.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although increased levels of plasminogen activators have been found in psoriatic lesions, the role of plasmin converted from plasminogen by plasminogen activators in pathogenesis of psoriasis has not been investigated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Here we examined the contribution of plasmin to amplification of inflammation in patients with psoriasis. We found that plasminogen was diminished, but that the amount and activity of its converted product plasmin were markedly increased in psoriasis. Moreover, annexin II, a receptor for plasmin was dramatically increased in both dermis and epidermis in psoriasis. Plasmin at sites of inflammation was pro-inflammatory, eliciting production of inflammatory factors, including CC chemokine ligand 20 (CCL20) and interleukin-23 (IL-23), that was mediated by the nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-κB) signaling pathway and that had an essential role in the recruitment and activation of pathogenic C-C chemokine receptor type 6 (CCR6)+ T cells. Moreover, intradermal injection of plasmin or plasmin together with recombinant monocyte/macrophage chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1) resulted in induction of psoriasiform skin inflammation around the injection sites with several aspects of human psoriasis in mice.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Plasmin converted from plasminogen by plasminogen activators plays an essential role in amplification of psoriasiform skin inflammation in mice, and targeting plasmin receptor--annexin II--may harbor therapeutic potential for the treatment of human psoriasis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hypertension of Shanghai Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Institute of Hypertension and Institute of Health Sciences, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine and Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Qun
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Fang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ke
authors.forename: Weiwei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xiaoyan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Qiannan
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Xue-Zhong
authors.initials: XZ
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Qibin
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Leng
authors.forename: Honglin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D054418:Chemokine CCL20 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018450:Disease Progression; D004423:Ear / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005341:Fibrinolysin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D053759:Interleukin-23 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D010958:Plasminogen / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011565:Psoriasis / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D054399:Receptors, CCR6 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C498126:CCR6 protein, mouse; D054418:Chemokine CCL20; D053759:Interleukin-23; D016328:NF-kappa B; D054399:Receptors, CCR6; D010958:Plasminogen; D005341:Fibrinolysin