Pathophysiologic mechanisms of itch in bullous pemphigoid.

BACKGROUND: One of the hallmarks of bullous pemphigoid (BP) is moderate to severe chronic itch. Managing this is difficult because little is known about the mechanisms of itch in BP. OBJECTIVE: We sought to elucidate the pathophysiologic mechanisms of itch in BP. METHODS: The expression of itch mediators in lesions of 24 patients with BP and 6 healthy individuals were examined through immunofluorescence staining. Furthermore, the expression of itch mediators and itch severity was correlated. RESULTS: Itch severity was correlated with eosinophils, substance P, neurokinin 1R, interleukin (IL) 31 receptor A, oncostatin M receptor-ß, IL-13, periostin, and basophils. There was also a trend between itch severity and IL-31 expression. Most of the cells expressing IL-31 or neurokinin 1R were identified as eosinophils. Intraepidermal nerve fiber density was decreased. Other itch mediators, including mast cells, IL-4, thymic stromal lymphopoietin, transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 and ankyrin 1, and protease activated receptor 2 were not significantly correlated with itch severity. LIMITATIONS: The relatively small sample size, the examination of protein expression exclusively through immunofluorescent analysis, and lack of functional assays in patients are the limitations. CONCLUSIONS: Multiple factors are involved in BP-associated itch, including eosinophils, substance P, neurokinin 1R, IL-31, IL-31 receptor A, oncostatin M receptor-ß, IL-13, periostin, and basophils. They could be useful therapeutic targets.

Expression of short-form oncostatin M receptor as a decoy receptor in lung adenocarcinomas.

Oncostatin M (OSM) is a member of the interleukin-6 (IL-6) family of cytokines, and binds to the OSM receptor (OSMR) to inhibit cancer growth. Four forms of OSMR have been identified: leukemia inhibitory factor receptor (LIFR), OSMR beta, short-form OSMR (OSMRs) and soluble OSMR (sOSMR). In this study, we examined the type and expression of OSMR in lung adenocarcinomas (LADCs). Expression of OSMR was determined by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), immunoblotting, immunohistochemistry and confocal immunofluorescent microscopy (CIM). Our results showed that, among the four forms of OSMR, OSMRs was mainly expressed in LADC, and expression level of OSMRs correlated with patient survival. CIM revealed that OSMRs was localized on the cell membrane of LADC cell lines in vitro. OSMRs acts as a decoy receptor by reducing the inhibitory effect of OSM on cell growth. Decrease in OSMRs expression by siRNA increased cell sensitivity to OSM, and ectopic expression of OSMRs reduced cell sensitivity to OSM. These results suggest that expression of OSMRs, which operates as a decoy receptor for OSM, is correlated with disease progression and adverse prognosis in patients with LADC.