Do plasminogen activators play a role in lichen sclerosus?

The histological changes of lichen sclerosus suggest that significant remod elling of the extracellular matrix is occurring. As the proteases of the pl asminogen activator system have been implicated in tissue remodelling, cell migration and tumour invasion, we performed an immunohistochemical study t o look for evidence of alteration in the expression of plasminogen/plasmin, urokinase-type plasminogen activator, tissue-type plasminogen activator an d alpha2-antiplasmin in biopsies of clinically typical vulval lichen sclero sus obtained from 11 untreated adult women. Normal vulva obtained from gyna ecological procedures and samples of the patients' uninvolved thigh tissue were used as controls. No significant difference was seen in the staining p attern between the lichen sclerosus tissue and control tissue. However, alt hough we found no immunohistochemical evidence that the plasminogen activat or system is involved in the pathogenesis of vulval lichen sclerosus, it ma y be that other proteases are involved.