Interleukin-31 is overexpressed in skin and serum in cutaneous T-cell lymphomas but does not correlate to pruritus.

Introduction: Cutaneous T-cell lymphomas (CTCL) are malignant lymphoproliferative disorders accompanied by persistent pruritus. Pruritogenic role of interleukin-31 (IL-31) has been studied extensively and was proven in atopic dermatitis (AD), while its role in CTCL is still rather vague. Aim: To investigate IL-31 serum level along with IL-31, IL-31 receptor α (IL-31RA) and oncostatin M receptor ß (OSMR) skin expression in CTCL and compare it to controls: AD and healthy volunteers. Material and methods: The level of IL-31 in serum was measured using ELISA, while IL-31 and receptors' expression in the skin were measured using immunohistochemistry and correlated with the stage of disease and pruritus severity. Results: Expression of IL-31 and IL-31 receptor in serum and skin were significantly higher in CTCL and AD in comparison to healthy controls. No significant correlation between the IL-31 serum level and pruritus severity in CTCL patients was found. There was also no correlation between IL-31/IL-31RA/OSMR expression in the skin and CTCL pruritus, while IL-31 and IL-31RA in CTCL skin negatively correlated with the stage of disease. Conclusions: Our data indicate that IL-31 does not play a crucial role in pruritus in CTCL but it is rather involved in the pathogenesis of the disease. It seems that IL-31 plays an essential role in the pruritus pathomechanism that is unique to AD.

Mapping signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) activity in different stages of mycosis fungoides and Sezary syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Deregulation of signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) signaling is known to participate in the pathogenesis of cutaneous T-cell lymphomas (CTCLs). However, published results regarding STAT expression in different stages of CTCLs are conflicting. The aim of the study was to define the pattern of STAT expression in skin and detect any differences between pruritic and nonpruritic patients but also different stages of disease. METHODS: Thirty-nine skin biopsies from CTCL patients and 24 biopsies from healthy volunteers were taken. Immunohistochemical staining for STAT 3, 5a, 5b, and 6 was performed in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded sections of mycosis fungoides (MF) and Sezary syndrome (SS) specimens. RESULTS: We found increased expression of STAT proteins in CTCL: MF and SS skin in comparison to the control group. STAT5 but also STAT6 and to a lesser extent STAT3 seems to be constitutively activated in MF and SS. Moreover, also downregulation of STAT5b protein in advanced-stage CTCL appears to contribute to its pathogenesis. There were no significant associations between expression of STATs and pruritus severity. CONCLUSIONS: Our results confirm the possible pathogenetic role of STATs in CTCL. STATs seem to be a promising target for new effective therapeutic agents in CTCL.

Clinicopathologic retrospective analysis of blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasms.

Blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm (BPDCN) is one of the aggressive rare hematopoietic malignancies with predilection to the skin, primarily found in adults. The precise incidence of BPDCN is difficult to estimate due to constantly changing nomenclature and lack of precise defining criteria prior to the 2008 WHO classification system. There are not many cases described in the literature, what makes the diagnostic process challenging. Skin lesions such as erythematous infiltrates and nodules are usually the first manifestation of the disease. Therefore, in doubtful diagnostic cases, dermatologists should perform histopathological and immunohistochemistry examinations along with hematological and oncological cooperation, as early diagnosis and appropriate treatment is essential for improvement of the disease course. This analysis, despite the small number of patients may provide useful information on the clinical and histopathological features of this rare malignancy.

Il-31 does not correlate to pruritus related to early stage cutaneous T-cell lymphomas but is involved in pathogenesis of the disease.

Mycosis fungoides (MF) and Sézary syndrome (SS) belong to the group of primary cutaneous T-cell lymphomas (CTCL). Regardless of the stage of the disease, patients with MF and SS can suffer from chronic pruritus. The aim of the study was to investigate the correlation between the interleukin 31 (IL-31) serum level, the degree of pruritus and CTCL severity; and to compare the frequency of IL-31 gene polymorphisms between patients and the control group, and between patients at different stages of the disease. Pruritus affected 67.7% of patients with MF and SS in our study. The IL-31 serum level was significantly higher in CTCL patients than in the control group but there were no positive correlation between IL-31 serum level and pruritus. A statistically significant difference in allele frequencies for IL-31 IVS2+12 gene polymorphisms between early and advanced stages was detected; GAG haplotype was more frequent and AGA was less frequent in stage IA patients compared with patients in the other stages of the disease.