Premium
Mast cells and transforming growth factor‐β expression: a possible relationship in the development of porphyria cutanea tarda skin lesions
Author(s) -
Lançoni Glalcyara,
Ravinal Roberto Cuan,
Costa Roberto Silva,
Roselino Ana Maria
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
international journal of dermatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.677
H-Index - 93
eISSN - 1365-4632
pISSN - 0011-9059
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-4632.2008.03607.x
Subject(s) - porphyria cutanea tarda , pathogenesis , medicine , cytokine , transforming growth factor beta , pathology , transforming growth factor , mast cell , immunology , dermatology , endocrinology
Background Porphyria cutanea tarda (PCT) is a metabolic disease characterized by vesicles and blisters in sun‐exposed areas and scleroderma‐like lesions in sun‐exposed and non‐sun‐exposed areas. Mast cells participate in the pathogenesis of bullous diseases and diseases that show sclerosis, including PCT. Moreover, transforming growth factor‐β (TGF‐β) is the main cytokine in the development of tissue sclerosis. The correlation of mast cells and TGF‐β with the lesions of PCT has not been examined, however. The possible role of mast cells and TGF‐β (and the relationship between them) in the development of PCT lesions is discussed. Methods To quantify mast cells and cells expressing TGF‐β in skin samples from patients with PCT and controls, immunohistochemical studies were performed in tissue sections allied to morphometric analyses. Results The numbers of mast cells and cells expressing TGF‐β per square millimiter were increased in the PCT group relative to controls, and there was a direct and significant correlation between the mast cell number and cells expressing TGF‐β in PCT. Conclusions The results suggest that the increased number of mast cells and of cells expressing TGF‐β, as well as their direct correlation, may contribute to the pathogenesis of the skin lesions in PCT.