MOLECULAR EFFECTS OF T-LYMPHOCYTES ON THE REGULATION OF KERATIN GENE-EXPRESSION

The interactions between lymphocytes and the epidermis are very import ant in autoimmune skin diseases. Mutual interaction between keratinocy tes and T cells is effected both by soluble peptides and by direct cel l-to-cell contact. We investigated the possibility that direct cell-to -cell contact with T cells may also play a role in the regulation of k eratin gene expression. We have transfected human epidermal keratinocy tes with the constructs containing promoters of keratin genes and then cocultured them with the HUT78 strain of human T cells. We found that T cells induce transcription of K5, K6, K14 and K16 genes, as well as the RSV viral promoter, but not K17, K10 or the SV40 viral promoter c ontrols.