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The influence of antimalarial treatment on IL‐1β, IL‐6 and TNF‐α mRNA expression on UVB‐irradiated skin in systemic lupus erythematosus
Author(s) -
Wozniacka A.,
Lesiak A.,
Boncela J.,
Smolarczyk K.,
McCauliffe D.P.,
SysaJedrzejowska A.
Publication year - 2008
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.1365-2133.2008.08804.x
Subject(s) - chloroquine , cytokine , messenger rna , proinflammatory cytokine , tumor necrosis factor alpha , immunology , medicine , lupus erythematosus , interleukin , interleukin 6 , microbiology and biotechnology , biology , inflammation , antibody , gene , biochemistry , malaria
Summary Background There are very few data addressing the mechanisms of antimalarial treatment benefit locally within the skin of patients with lupus erythematosus, at the level of cytokine messenger RNA (mRNA) expression. Objectives The aim of this study was to evaluate whether 3 months of monotherapy with chloroquine influences the mRNA skin expression of interleukin (IL)‐1β, IL‐6 and tumour necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α) in nonirradiated and locally ultraviolet B (UVB) irradiated nondiseased skin of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Patients/Methods Skin biopsies were collected from 14 patients with SLE 24 h after irradiation at one site and from an adjacent unirradiated site, before and after 3 months of chloroquine treatment. Messenger RNA levels for IL‐1β, IL‐6 and TNF‐α were determined by relative quantitative reverse transcriptase‐polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR). Results There were no significant differences in the levels of mRNA cytokine expressions in the unirradiated sites before and after 3 months of chloroquine administration. In the irradiated sites, the expression of all three cytokine mRNA levels was significantly higher than in the unirradiated group, approximately 24 h after irradiation, before chloroquine treatment. Significantly lower expression of IL‐1β, IL‐6 and TNF‐α mRNAs was noted in irradiated skin samples after 3 months of chloroquine treatment. Conclusions These results demonstrate the local inhibitory effects of chloroquine on UVB‐induced upregulation in the mRNA expression of proinflammatory cytokines in irradiated skin of SLE patients, and provide further insight into the apparent immunomodulatory, anti‐inflammatory and photoprotective properties of chloroquine.