title: Expression of Glucocorticoid Receptors GRα and GRβ in Bullous Pemphigoid.
abstract: First-line treatments of bullous pemphigoid (BP) are topical and systemic glucocorticoids (GC). The actions of GC are mediated by glucocorticoid receptors (GR), which exist in several isoforms, of which GRα and GRβ are the most important. In many inflammatory diseases, up-regulation of GRβ is associated with GC insensitivity. The aims of this study were to determine the expression of GRα and GRβ in patients with BP and to investigate the effect of prednisolone treatment on the expression of GR isoforms in BP. Quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) analysis demonstrated that GR isoform mRNAs are expressed in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from patients with BP. Expression of GRα and GRβ protein was confirmed by immunohistochemical staining of BP skin biopsies and by Western blot analysis and flow cytometric analysis of PBMCs. During prednisolone treatment, GRα and GRβ expression varied markedly, but changes were not suitable as a clinical marker of GC sensitivity in patients with BP.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University of Oulu, FIN-90029 Oulu, Finland. minna.kubin@ppshp.fi.
authors.forename: Minna E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Kubin
authors.forename: Päivi M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Hägg
authors.forename: Nina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kokkonen
authors.forename: Kirsi-Maria
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Haapasaari
authors.forename: Juha P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Väyrynen
authors.forename: Tatsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Uchida
authors.forename: Virpi
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Glumoff
authors.forename: Petri
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kulmala
authors.forename: Tiina
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hurskainen
authors.forename: Kaisa
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tasanen
mesh_terms: D001706:Biopsy; D015153:Blotting, Western; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D010391:Pemphigoid, Bullous / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism*; D011239:Prednisolone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011965:Receptors, Glucocorticoid / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D005938:Glucocorticoids; D011965:Receptors, Glucocorticoid; C411470:glucocorticoid receptor alpha; C121943:glucocorticoid receptor beta; D011239:Prednisolone