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Demonstration of increased levels of type I collagen mRNA using quantitative polymerase chain reaction in fibrotic and granulomatous skin diseases
Author(s) -
Kaisa Tasanen,
Riitta Palatsi,
Aarne Oikarinen
Publication year - 1998
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.1365-2133.1998.02309.x
Subject(s) - cutaneous sarcoidosis , messenger rna , skin biopsy , sarcoidosis , medicine , scleroderma (fungus) , pathology , localized scleroderma , morphea , polymerase chain reaction , fibrosis , systemic scleroderma , biopsy , in situ hybridization , collagen, type i, alpha 1 , connective tissue disease , immunohistochemistry , systemic disease , gene , biology , autoimmune disease , immunopathology , disease , extracellular matrix , biochemistry , inoculation
Collagen changes occur in localized scleroderma, scleredema and sarcoidosis. Previous biochemical, immunohistochemical and in situ hybridization studies have revealed increased collagen synthesis in these diseases. In the present study, we measured the proα1(I) collagen and β‐actin mRNA levels in skin punch biopsy specimens from lesional and healthy skin using a quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR). In this method, the targeted mRNA and a synthetic RNA as a internal standard are co‐amplified together with the same primers. The amount of proα1(I) collagen mRNA in cutaneous sarcoidosis lesions was found to be increased about two‐ to threefold compared with the values obtained for the healthy skin of the same two patients. In lesional skin of three patients with localized scleroderma the number of proα1(I) collagen molecules was increased about two‐fold. The β‐actin mRNA values were at the same level in the affected and unaffected skin of all the patients studied. In conclusion, a marked increase in type I collagen gene expression was seen in localized scleroderma and scleredema, leading to fibrosis of the skin, and in a granulomatous skin disease, cutaneous sarcoidosis.