title: Expression of interleukin-17 is correlated with interferon-α expression in cutaneous lesions of lupus erythematosus.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Type I interferon (IFN) has been reported to have an important role in the development of cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). A new subset of CD4+ T cells, T helper (Th)17 cells, also plays a role in the development of autoimmunity.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate expression of interleukin (IL)-17 and IFN-α in different CLE subsets, and their associations with the pathogenesis of LE.
  
  
  METHODS
  Skin tissue samples from 33 cases, including chronic discoid LE (n = 24), acute (A)CLE (n = 4), subacute CLE (n = 1) and lupus panniculitis (n = 4) were collected for immunohistochemistry. Expression of IL-6, IL-17A, IFN-α, IFN-γ, myxovirus protein (Mx)A and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β was assessed in these samples.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All LE specimens had staining for IL-6 and TGF-β in the infiltrated inflammatory cells. IL-17A staining was seen in 84.8% of specimens, and IFN-α or MxA was seen in 93.9%. TGF-β expression in ACLE was significantly greater than that in both chronic cutaneous (CC)LE and in lupus panniculitis (P = 0.02 for both). Expression of IL-17A was positively associated with expression of IFN-α and MxA (Spearman's ρ = 0.56 and 0.39, respectively). In addition, the Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus Disease Area and Severity Index (CLASI) correlated positively with expression of IFN-α and MxA (ρ = 0.40 for both), whereas there was no correlation with IL-17A expression.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Two major cytokines, IL-17A and IFN-α, may play roles in the pathogenesis of CLE. Their patterns of expression positively correlated with each other.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Biology Research Institute, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. oddung93@yuhs.ac
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Roh
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Kwon
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: J Y
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: B J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Lim
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000032:analysis; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000378:metabolism*; D020381:Interleukin-17 / Q000378:metabolism*; D008178:Lupus Erythematosus, Cutaneous / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D008179:Lupus Erythematosus, Discoid / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015435:Panniculitis, Lupus Erythematosus / Q000276:immunology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012867:Skin / Q000276:immunology; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000378:metabolism; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D016207:Cytokines; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D020381:Interleukin-17; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta