Inflammation and thrombo-occlusive vessel signalling in benign atrophic papulosis (Köhlmeier-Degos disease).

BACKGROUND: Although the merely cutaneous, benign form of the extremely rare disease atrophic papulosis (Köhlmeier-Degos disease) may occasionally develop into the systemic, malignant form with time, it is unclear whether it exhibits any systemic characteristics. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether benign atrophic papulosis exhibits inflammatory and thrombo-occlusive signals and to classify it according to the Chapel-Hill classification of vasculitis. METHODS: In a monocentric, controlled study, levels of cytokines (IL-1ß, IL-6, IL-8, IFNγ, MCP-1, VEGF, TNFα, TGF-ß1), antiphospholipid antibodies (cardiolipin IgG/A/M, cardiolipin IgG, cardiolipin IgM, ß2-glycoprotein IgG/A/M, phosphatidyl choline, phosphatidyl serine, phosphatidyl inositol, phosphatidyl ethanolamine and sphingomyelin A), antibodies against proteinase-3 IgG and myeloperoxidase IgG, antinuclear antibodies and extractable nuclear antigen were assessed in blood samples of six benign atrophic papulosis patients and six age- and sex-matched healthy controls. RESULTS: IL-8 was only detectable in patients' serum. VEGF was reduced and cardiolipin IgG/A/M and ß2-glycoprotein antibodies were increased in the patients' group. ANA were only detected in three patients, and ENA were negative throughout. No differences were detected between the other investigated markers. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study evaluating systemic inflammatory and thrombo-occlusive vessel signalling in benign atrophic papulosis and provides evidence of a non-antineutrophil cytoplasmatic antibodies immune-complex small vessel vasculitis according to the Chapel-Hill classification. These findings corroborate its systemic character despite the apparent missing involvement of systemic organs.