Premium
There is no functional small‐fibre neuropathy in prurigo nodularis despite neuroanatomical alterations
Author(s) -
Pereira Manuel P.,
PogatzkiZahn Esther,
Snels Chantal,
Vu ThaiHa,
Üçeyler Nurcan,
Loser Karin,
Sommer Claudia,
Evers Andrea Walburga Maria,
Laarhoven Antoinette I. M.,
Agelopoulos Konstantin,
Ständer Sonja
Publication year - 2017
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.13343
Subject(s) - prurigo nodularis , medicine , somatosensory system , nerve fiber , sensory system , pathology , neuroscience , dermatology , biology , anatomy , psychiatry
Abstract Prurigo nodularis ( PN ) is a pruritic condition with altered epidermal neuroanatomy as demonstrated previously. Here we elucidated neuroimmunological mechanisms by combining functional, morphological and gene expression experiments in twelve subjects with PN and eight healthy controls. Subjects with PN showed a reduced intra‐epidermal nerve fibre density ( IENFD ) in lesional skin. Quantitative sensory testing indicated maintenance of somatosensory function compared to controls. None of the tested molecular markers including the neuron‐distracting SEMA 3A and neuron‐attracting NGF were altered in lesional vs non‐lesional skin in PN subjects. Accordingly, we speculate that scratching may contribute to reduced IENFD rather than an authentic endogenous neuropathy.