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Leucocyte activation in erythema nodosum
Author(s) -
Manfred Kunz,
S. Beutel,
EvaB. Bröcker
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
clinical and experimental dermatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.587
H-Index - 78
eISSN - 1365-2230
pISSN - 0307-6938
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2230.1999.00511.x
Subject(s) - erythema nodosum , pathogenesis , medicine , inflammation , erythema , pathology , immunology , disease
As a neutrophilic vascular reaction of small vessels in the subcutaneous tissue and a neutrophilic inflammatory infiltrate are common histopathological features found in initial erythema nodosum (EN) lesions, we asked the question whether activated polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN) might play a role in the pathogenesis of EN. We analysed the production of reactive oxygen intermediates (ROI) as a marker for activated neutrophils in the peripheral blood of patients suffering from EN ( n = 10) and healthy volunteers ( n = 10). FACS analysis of dihydrorhodamine 123‐stained PMN was used to detect ROI production due to respiratory burst activity. Patients suffering from EN had a fourfold higher percentage of preactivated (‘primed’) ROI‐producing PMN compared with healthy volunteers. Activation of PMN with formylated methionyl‐leucyl‐phenylalanine and phorbol 12‐myristate 13‐acetate led to an increase of ROI production per cell but had no influence on the percentage of activated cells. The percentage of ROI‐producing cells in patients with EN correlated with the clinical severity. From these data, we conclude that ROI might play a role in the pathogenesis of EN. ROI might exert their effects by oxidative tissue damage and by promoting tissue inflammation.