EXPRESSION OF MESSENGER-RNA OF TUMOR-NECROSIS-FACTOR-ALPHA AND INTERLEUKIN-6 IN BULLOUS PEMPHIGOID SKIN

The mRNA expression of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) and int erleukin-6 (IL-6) in the skin was investigated using an in situ hybrid ization method in 10 bullous pemphigoid (BP) cases. In most cases, the epidermal keratinocytes of the bullous and surrounding erythematous l esions showed moderate to intense mRNA expression of TNF-alpha and IL- 6. The mononuclear cells in lesional dermis also expressed the mRNA of TNF-alpha and IL-6, although the number of stained cells varied in ea ch case. Most of these cells were T lymphocytes. The relatively normal neighbouring, areas of BP or healthy individual skin specimens showed weak or no staining for transcripts of these cytokines. These finding s suggest that TNF-alpha and IL-6 produced by the epidermal keratinocy tes and/or infiltrating dermal, mononuclear cells may play a role in t he process of blister formation in BP, although these cytokines are no t specific for BP.