The Expression Of CXCL11/I-TAC And Its Receptor CXCR3 In The Lesions Of Psoriasis Vulgaris

IntroductionChemokine is a class of micromolecule proteins to attract leukocytes specifically, which can be divided into 4 subgroups:C,CC,CXC and CX3C.Chemokines play their roles by chemokine receptors(CR),which are expressed on their target cells' membranes.IFN-inducible T cellαchemoattractant(CXCL11/I-TAC) is a typeⅠchemokines which specifically chemoattracts CXCR3-expressing Th1/Tc1 cells.IFN-γand TNF-αare major cytokines,which are overexpressed in Th1-dominated inflammatory skin diseases including psoriasis and lichen planus(LP).In recent years, there have been increasing evidences that CXCL11/I-TAC is overexpressed in Th1-dominated skin disorders such as psoriasis,lichen planus.In previous studies,the two cytokines have been shown to be strong inducers of CXCL11/I-TAC in keratinocytes.The expression of CXCL11/I-TAC and its receptor CXCR3 in the lesions of psoriasis vulgaris has not been fully elucidated.Materials and Methods1.Materials(1) Cases and samples:All patients with progressive psoriasis vulgaris that is diagnosed by clinical manifestations and pathology,normal control skin samples from plastic surgery patients;(2) Major reagents:rabbit anti-human I-TAC polyclonal antibody(Santa Cruz, USA),goat anti-human CXCR3 polyclonal antibody(Santa Cruz,USA),goat anti-rabbit streptavidin-peroxidase(SP) kits,rabbit anti-goat SP kits.2.MethodsFrozen sections(5μm) prepared from patients(n=26) with progressive psoriasis vulgaris and normal control skin samples from plastic surgery patients(n=16) were detected by SP immunohistochemical technique for the expression of CXCL11/I-TAC and CXCR3.ResultsThe expressions of both CXCL11/I-TAC and CXCR3 were significantly higher in psoriatic lesions than those in normal skin(P＜0.01).ConclusionThe upregulated expression of typeⅠchemokine CXCL11/I-TAC and its receptor CXCR3 in the lesions of psoriasis vulgaris,a Th1-dominated inflammatory skin diseases.The results may indicate that CXCL11/I-TAC and CXCR3 play important roles in the pathogenesis of this type of inflammatory skin diseases including psoriasis.