EFFECTS OF TOPICAL CALCIPOTRIOL ON THE EXPRESSION OF ADHESION MOLECULES IN PSORIASIS

Seven patients with chronic plaque psoriasis were treated with topical calcipotriol for 8 to 24 weeks; the lesions improved in 5 patients. I mmunohistochemistry was performed on frozen sections, to evaluate the expression of adhesion molecules and extracellular matrix components b efore and after therapy. Changes in expression and topography of beta 1 and beta 4 integrins were found on psoriatic lesions before therapy and a reduction in the expression of tenascin was detected as well. Mo reover, several activation markers such as ICAM-1, HLA-DR, CD26 were f ocally positive, with a diffuse cytoplasmic reactivity, in basal and s uprabasal layers in untreated lesions. In the 5 patients in whom lesio ns regressed after topical calcipotriol treatment, we observed a histo logical normalization of the epidermis and the inflammatory infiltrate was reduced. Moreover, not only was there a normalization in the expr ession and topography of adhesion molecules, but also the integrin pat tern observed after therapy was superimposable to that of normal skin.