Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2019 Aug;18(2):888-894.
doi: 10.3892/etm.2019.7596. Epub 2019 May 21.

Immunohistochemical study of psoriatic plaques and perilesional skin in psoriasis vulgaris patients: A pilot study

Iulia-Ioana Morar  1 , Flaviu-Alexandru Tabăran  2 , Teodora Mocan  3 , Elena-Mihaela Jianu  4 , Meda-Sandra Orăsan  1 , Alexandra-Dana Pop  3 , Remus-Ioan Orăsan  3
Affiliations

Immunohistochemical study of psoriatic plaques and perilesional skin in psoriasis vulgaris patients: A pilot study

Iulia-Ioana Morar et al. Exp Ther Med. 2019 Aug.

Abstract

Psoriasis vulgaris, a chronic inflammatory skin disorder, is the result of immune mediated processes, genetic background and environmental factors. Prolactin and the vascular endothelial growth factor seem to play a key role in psoriasis pathogenesis regarding hyperproliferation of epidermal keratinocytes and dermal vascular ectasia. The aim of the study was to investigate the expression of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2) and prolactin receptor (PRLR) in psoriatic skin by immunohistochemical analysis and to evaluate the correlation with disease severity. Two skin biopsies, psoriatic lesion and perilesional skin, obtained by punch biopsy from 19 nontreated psoriasis patients were examined in hematoxylin and eosin staining and immunohistochemistry (IHC) for TNF-α, VEGFR2 and PRLR. The indirect IHC reaction was carried out automatically and visualized by 3,3-diaminobenzidine (DAB) technique. The average number of DAB-positive cells and the intensity of cell staining were quantified on a predefined scale. The results show a significant difference in the quantity and distribution of TNF-α positive cells in the two sample groups. In psoriatic plaque skin, an increased expression of TNF-α was found in the perivascular dermis and epidermic keratinocytes. In perilesional skin the immunostaining was predominant in the basal layer keratinocytes, while in psoriatic plaque, all the layers were positively marked, with stronger expression at the base. A statistically significant difference was found between the intensity of the immunostaining in the two types of tissue. Positive cells for VEGFR2 and PRL were identified in the basal layer keratinocyte cells (VEGFR2), sweat glands and hair outer shaft sheath (PRLR), without significant differences between the two types of samples. Our findings confirm the importance of TNF-α in psoriasis pathogenesis and a positive correlation with lesions severity. No significant differences were found for VEGFR2 and PRLR, but additional studies are necessary to establish their role.

Keywords: prolactin; psoriasis-immunohistochemistry-TNF-α; vascular endothelial growth factor.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Histopathological differences in the examined skin samples. (A) Perilesional skin: Slight acanthosis of keratinocytes, minimal hyperkeratosis. (B) Psoriatic plaque: Increased acanthosis with papillomatosis, elongated rete ridges, inflammatory infiltrate in superficial dermis, significant hyperkeratosis. Magnification, ×10.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Distribution of TNF-α. (A) Positive in the basal layer keratinocytes in perilesional skin; and (B) positive presence in all layers, with a stronger expression at the base in plaque psoriasis. Magnification, ×40.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Immunostaining for TNF-α. (A) Less intense in the perilesional skin; and (B) more intense in the psoriatic plaque. Magnification, ×400.
Figure 4.
Figure 4.
TNF-α immunostaining in the cells (lymphocytes, endothelial cells) of the superficial dermis. (A) Perilesional skin; and (B) increased expression in psoriasis plaque. Magnification, ×400.
Figure 5.
Figure 5.
Distribution of immunostaining score for TNF-α in the two types of examined specimens.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Parisi R, Symmons DP, Griffiths CE, Ashcroft DM, Identification, Management of Psoriasis and Associated ComorbidiTy (IMPACT) project team Global epidemiology of psoriasis: A systematic review of incidence and prevalence. J Invest Dermatol. 2013;133:377–385. doi: 10.1038/jid.2012.339. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Batani A, Brănișteanu DE, Ilie MA, Boda D, Ianosi S, Ianosi G, Caruntu C. Assessment of dermal papillary and microvascular parameters in psoriasis vulgaris using in vivo reflectance confocal microscopy. Exp Ther Med. 2018;15:1241–1246. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Deng Y, Chang C, Lu Q. The inflammatory response in psoriasis: A comprehensive review. Clin Rev Allergy Immunol. 2016;50:377–389. doi: 10.1007/s12016-016-8535-x. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Boda D, Negrei C, Nicolescu F, Balalau C. Assessment of some oxidative stress parameters in methotrexate treated psoriasis patients. Farmacia. 2014;62:704–710.
    1. Raţiu MP, Purcărea I, Popa F, Purcărea VL, Purcărea TV, Lupuleasa D, Boda D. Escaping the economic turn down through performing employees, creative leaders and growth driver capabilities in the Romanian pharmaceutical industry. Farmacia. 2011;59:119–130.