title: Marked Reduction of the Number and Individual Volume of Sebaceous Glands in Psoriatic Lesions.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease characterized by plaques with inflammation, infiltration, hyper-/parakeratosis and desquamation. Microscopic findings in previous studies have revealed some degree of atrophy of the sebaceous glands in patients with psoriasis vulgaris and psoriatic alopecia.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to investigate possible changes of the sebaceous glands in patients with psoriatic plaques and especially psoriatic alopecia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Histological and stereological analyses were performed in skin specimens from involved and healthy-looking skin of 14 patients with psoriasis. Stereology detects and quantifies 3-dimensional structures ex vivo. Furthermore, the differentiation process of sebocytes of another 14 psoriatic patients was examined by immunohistochemistry of involved and uninvolved skin specimens.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A significant reduction of the number of sebaceous glands as well as of the volume of individual sebaceous glands was assessed in the lesional compared to the nonlesional psoriatic skin. Moreover, it was likely that sebocytes in psoriatic lesions may not differentiate properly.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings indicate that the sebaceous gland may be a player and not an innocent bystander in the development of psoriatic lesions and especially of psoriatic alopecia.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Dermatology, Venereology, Allergology and Immunology, Dessau Medical Center, Dessau, Germany.
authors.forename: Aikaterini I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Liakou
authors.forename: Jens R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Nyengaard
authors.forename: Stefanos
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bonovas
authors.forename: Juergen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Knolle
authors.forename: Evgenia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Makrantonaki
authors.forename: Christos C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Zouboulis
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000505:Alopecia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000378:metabolism; D001706:Biopsy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011565:Psoriasis / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism; D012627:Sebaceous Glands / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D012629:Sebum / Q000378:metabolism*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012867:Skin / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*