Skin nerve fibres and their contacts with mast cells in patients with palmoplantar pustulosis.
Arch Dermatol Res
; 292(6): 269-74, 2000 Jun.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-10929766
ABSTRACT
Patients with palmoplantar pustulosis (PPP) frequently report that stress worsens their condition. A study was therefore made of the distribution and number of nerve fibres positive for protein gene product (PGP) 9.5 (a general nerve marker) and nerve fibres with substance P- and calcitonin gene-related peptide-like immunoreactivity in involved skin from patients with PPP and in skin from healthy controls. The number of mast cells in the papillary dermis was larger (P = 0.0003) in lesional palmar PPP skin than in control skin, and the number of contacts between mast cells and nerve fibres was significantly larger (P = 0.02) in PPP skin than in control skin. Image analysis of the nerve fibres around the sweat glands showed that the positively stained area as a percentage of the total area of the sweat gland (coil + surrounding nerves) was significantly lower in PPP skin (P = 0.0006). Furthermore, the nerves seemed to be fragmented. Neutrophils within and below the pustules and in the papillary dermis showed positive substance P staining. The increased number of contacts between nerves and mast cells in PPP skin and the intense substance P-like immunoreactivity of the neutrophils indicate that neuromediation may influence the inflammation in PPP, whereas the destruction of the nerve fibres around the sweat glands might be a result of the inflammation.
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Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Psoriasis
/
Skin
/
Mast Cells
/
Nerve Fibers
Limits:
Adult
/
Aged
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Middle aged
Language:
En
Journal:
Arch Dermatol Res
Year:
2000
Document type:
Article
Affiliation country: