Premium
Photohardening of polymorphic light eruption patients decreases baseline epidermal L angerhans cell density while increasing mast cell numbers in the papillary dermis
Author(s) -
Wolf Peter,
GruberWackernagel Alexandra,
Bambach Isabella,
Schmidbauer Ulrike,
Mayer Gerlinde,
Absenger Markus,
Fröhlich Eleonore,
Byrne Scott N.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
experimental dermatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.108
H-Index - 96
eISSN - 1600-0625
pISSN - 0906-6705
DOI - 10.1111/exd.12427
Subject(s) - mast cell , papillary dermis , dermis , cell , epidermis (zoology) , chemistry , medicine , microbiology and biotechnology , immunology , biology , pathology , anatomy , biochemistry
Abstract The pathogenesis of polymorphic light eruption ( PLE ) has been linked to a lack of UV ‐induced immune suppression. To determine the role of Langerhans cells ( LC ), mast cells and regulatory T cells, biopsies from PLE patients were taken from exposed sites in spring before and after photohardening with 311 nm or PUVA as well as again in summer. Skin sections were assessed for the presence of Langerin/ CD 1a+ LC and CD 3+, CD 4+, CD 25+ or FoxP3+ T cells and mast cells. Photohardening transiently decreased the density of epidermal LC and significantly increased a low baseline mast cell density in the papillary dermis of PLE patients. Baseline T cell numbers in the skin were low, and there was no difference in PLE patients among any time point. This suggests that LC suppression together with recruitment of mast cells into photohardened skin may be a key cellular event underlying the mechanism by which phototherapy protects from PLE .