title: Cutaneous expressions of interleukin-6 and neutrophil elastase as well as levels of serum IgA antibodies to gliadin nonapeptides, tissue transglutaminase and epidermal transglutaminase: implications for both autoimmunity and autoinflammation involvement in dermatitis herpetiformis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Dermatitis herpetiformis (DH) seems to be a chronic immune-mediated inflammatory disease of partially known origin. In light of its known biological functions and its involvement in tissue pathology in other disease states, particularly in nickel-induced allergic contact dermatitis coexisting with DH, it would appear that the central and peripheral response by neutrophils and their mediators (e.g. neutrophil elastase - NE) in DH may be partially mediated by interleukin-6 (IL-6). The aim of the study was to assess the role of IL -6 in DH lesions by examining the relationships between IL -6/NE cutaneous expression and levels of serum anti-nonapeptides of gliadin (npG) IgA, anti-tissue transglutaminase (tTG) immunoglobulin A (IgA), anti-epidermal transglutaminase (eTG) IgA in DH.
  
  
  METHODS
  In total, 24 DH patients having IgA cutaneous deposition were studied. Immunohistochemistry on paraffin-embedded sections with quantitative digital morphometry was used to measure the intensity of IL -6 and NE cutaneous expressions. Levels of serum anti-npG IgA, anti-tTG IgA and anti-eTG IgA were evaluated with ELISA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found no statistically significant correlation between the NE and IL -6 expression intensities. Our results revealed also a lack of correlations between NE/IL -6 expressions and levels of anti-npG IgA, anti-tTG IgA, anti-eTG IgA in DH. However, the IL -6 expression level was significantly lower than that of NE.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The lack of correlations suggested no substantial interactions between IL -6, NE, IgA/npG, IgA/tTG or IgA/eTG in DH. Presented results might indicate the heterogenetic nature of DH pathogenesis suggesting further that both autoimmune and autoinflammatory phenomena may be involved in DH cutaneous pathology.
authors.affiliation: Autoimmune Blistering Dermatoses Section, Department of Dermatology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland.
authors.forename: Justyna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gornowicz-Porowska
authors.affiliation: Cutaneous Histopathology and Immunopathology Section, Department of Dermatology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland.
authors.forename: Monika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bowszyc-Dmochowska
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland.
authors.forename: Agnieszka
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Seraszek-Jaros
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland.
authors.forename: Elżbieta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kaczmarek
authors.affiliation: Autoimmune Blistering Dermatoses Section, Department of Dermatology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland.
authors.forename: Paweł
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pietkiewicz
authors.affiliation: Autoimmune Blistering Dermatoses Section, Department of Dermatology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland.
authors.forename: Marian
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dmochowski
keywords: autoimmunity; dermatitis herpetiformis; interleukin-6; neutrophil elastase