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Plasminogen activator inhibitor type‐2 in the lesional epidermis of lupus erythematosus
Author(s) -
BECHTEL M. J.,
SCHAEFER B. M.,
KRAMER M. D.
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
british journal of dermatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.304
H-Index - 179
eISSN - 1365-2133
pISSN - 0007-0963
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2133.1996.24759.x
Subject(s) - epidermis (zoology) , plasminogen activator , biology , antigen , immunohistochemistry , keratinocyte , plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 , pathology , endocrinology , immunology , medicine , in vitro , biochemistry , anatomy
Summary Under certain pathophysiological conditions epidermal keratinocytes produce urokinase‐type plasminogen activator (LIPA) or tissue‐type PA (tPA). These PAs are subject to regulation by PA inhibitors (PAI). including PAl type‐2 (PAI‐2). In the normal epidermis. PAI‐2 is present in the differentiating suprabasal layers, albeit in the apparent absence of PAs. It has, therefore, been suggested that PAI‐2 plays a role in epidermal differentiation not linked to its ability lo inhibit PAs. In line with this hypothesis, we have studied, by immunohistochemistry. the distribution of PAI‐2. uPA and tPA in the normal and in the lesional epidermis of patients with lupus erythematosus (LE). a disease in which epidermal differentiation is disturbed. The PAI‐2 antigen was detectable in the normal epidermis and in the lesional epidermis of LE. In the normal epidermis, the PAI‐2 antigen was most pronounced in the granular layer. In the hyperkeratotic epidermal lesions of LE. the PAI‐2 antigen was increased. In normal and lesional skin. PAI‐2 was distributed along the cell periphery. Indicating its association with the cornified envelope. Neither uPA nor tPA was detectable in normal or lesional epidermis. Our findings show that PAI‐2 is a major type of PAI in normal epidermis and in the lesional epidermis of LE, and that increased epidermal PAI‐2 is observed in a disease which is not associated with an increase in epidermal PAs. The data support the hypothesis that epidermal PAI‐2 may have other functions than the regulation of PA activity.