Are newly discovered drivers of immune-mediated skin disorders expressed in normal skin regenerating from standardized surface injury?

Abstract

Background: In healthy skin, tape stripping induces a transient wave of histological changes resembling immune-mediated skin diseases, such as psoriasis. The response to surface trauma may harbor mechanisms which are also relevant to the development of Koebner-positive skin disorders. However, studies on newly discovered drivers of inflammation in regenerative skin are lacking.

Methods: The course of epidermal proliferation and keratinization as well as key representatives of innate and acquired immunity were studied during the first 72 h after tape stripping.

Results: Epidermal rupture rapidly activates various epidermal processes, which remain upregulated for 72 h. Elastase+ and IL-17+ cells dominate the acute phase and their numbers decrease rapidly thereafter. The number of T-Bet+ cells increases more gradually, reaching maximum levels several hours later when the other cell types decrease.

Conclusions: This model permits investigations on the sequence of crucial inflammatory processes set off by cutaneous injury, which are presumed to play a role within the pathogenesis of immune-mediated skin diseases exhibiting the Koebner phenomenon.