Induction and upregulation of adhesion receptors in oral and dermal lichen planus |
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Authors: | U. Konter I. Kellner B. Hoffmeister W. Sterry |
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Affiliation: | Department of Maxillofacial Surgery, University of Kiel, Germany. |
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Abstract: | The expression pattern of well-defined cell surface adhesion receptors called VLA-family, LFA-1 and ICAM-1 was determined semiquantitatively in biopsies of oral (n = 12) and dermal lichen planus (n = 5) and compared to normal uninvolved human oral mucosa (n = 12) and skin (n = 12) using an indirect immunoperoxidase technique. In both oral and dermal lichen planus, an induction of the beta 1-integrins VLA-1 and VLA-3 and an upregulation of VLA-6 was found in T cells infiltrating the basement membrane zone. These cell surface molecules function as receptors for collagen, fibronectin and laminin. A focal induction of ICAM-1 on basal keratinocytes could be detected at sites of intramucosal T cells. These results suggest that investigated adhesion receptors are crucially involved in the aggregation of T cells in both conditions. Further investigations have to be done to determine the functional role of these adhesion receptors in lichen planus. |
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Keywords: | adhesion molecules integrins lichen planus dermal ICAM-1, LFA-1 lichen planus oral VLA-family |
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