Premium
Immunohistochemical characterization of the plasminogen activator system in psoriatic epidermis
Author(s) -
GISSLER H.M.,
FRANK R.,
KRAMER M.D.
Publication year - 1993
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 - 10.1111/j.1365-2133.1993.tb00254.x
Subject(s) - epidermis (zoology) , plasmin , plasminogen activator , immunohistochemistry , psoriasis , keratinocyte , pathology , dermis , biology , chemistry , microbiology and biotechnology , medicine , endocrinology , anatomy , enzyme , in vitro , biochemistry , immunology
Summary The relative topographical distribution of urokinase‐type plasminogen activator (uPA), tissue‐type PA (tPA). PA‐inhibitor‐1 (PAI‐1). PA‐inhibitor‐2 (PAI‐2), plasmin(ogen), α 2 ‐antiplasmin, and α 2 ‐macroglobulin was studied in lesional epidermis of psoriasis vulgaris, and in normal epidermis, by immunohistochemistry. In psoriatic epidermis, tPA predominated, although uPA was found in some biopsies. PAs were not detected in normal epidermis. PAI‐1 was not detected in normal epidermis and was only present in a proportion of biopsies of psoriatic lesions. PAI‐2 was found in normal and psoriatic epidermis. Plasmin(ogen) was confined to the basal cell layer of normal epidermis, whereas in lesional psoriatic skin it was scattered throughout the epidermis, α 2 ‐antiplasmin and α 2 ‐macroglobulin were not found in the epidermis of normal skin. In psoriatic epidermis α 2 ‐antiplasmin was confined to the subcorneal layer, whereas staining for α 2 ‐macroglobulin was found only in a proportion of biopsies, in the upper epidermis. Our immunohistological findings indicate that colocalization of tPA and its substrate plasminogen may allow efficient generation of plasmin, and that the focal absence of plasmin inhibitors may then favour the persistence of plasmin activity.