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RT‐PCR Topography of Chronic Psoriasis Skin Based on Analysis of T‐Cell Receptor B Variable Region Gene Usage
Author(s) -
AHANGARI G.,
HALAPI E.,
TEHRANI M. J.,
FRANSSON J.,
HAMMAR H.,
WIGZELL H.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
scandinavian journal of immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.934
H-Index - 88
eISSN - 1365-3083
pISSN - 0300-9475
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-3083.1997.d01-422.x
Subject(s) - psoriasis , gene , receptor , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , genetics , immunology
Psoriasis is a hyperproliferative inflammatory disease and 70% of patients develop a chronic plaque form. The pathogenesis of psoriasis is not known but evidence exists that T cells play a crucial role. The T cell V‐gene receptor repertoire from psoriasis skin (different layers) was compared with peripheral blood T cells by employing RNA polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification. T cell receptor ( TCR) BV 5.1, 11, 12, 13.1 and 16 were utilized to a significantly higher degree in areas close to the basal layers when compared to CD4+, CD8+ or unfractionated blood T cells from the same patients, whereas only BV11 and 13.1 genes of T cells from deeper layers of the dermis showed such a skewed usage. No biased usage of TCRBV genes was observed in superficial layers or in whole skin. Furthermore, T cell receptor junctional diversity analysed by high resolution gel electrophoresis showed skin psoriatic T cells to be poly‐ or oligoclonal. In conclusion, we show that TCRBV gene usage from different layers of psoriatic skin has a different pattern compared with the corresponding gene usage in circulating peripheral blood T cells. This pattern may implicate possible skin‐associated antigen or superantigens activating a limited number of T cells in areas of skin close to basal layers, which in turn could promote keratinocyte proliferation.