CHANGES IN THE DISTRIBUTION OF ACTIN-ASSOCIATED PROTEINS IN PSORIATICKERATINOCYTES - IMMUNOHISTOCHEMICAL STUDY USING CONFOCAL LASER-SCANNING MICROSCOPY
L. Magaudda et al., CHANGES IN THE DISTRIBUTION OF ACTIN-ASSOCIATED PROTEINS IN PSORIATICKERATINOCYTES - IMMUNOHISTOCHEMICAL STUDY USING CONFOCAL LASER-SCANNING MICROSCOPY, Archives of dermatological research, 289(7), 1997, pp. 378-383
Recent studies support the presence of adherens junctions at the derma
l-epidermal interface in addition to hemidesmosomes, In this area the
integrin/actin-containing cytoskeleton connection occurs by means of a
complex of proteins called actin-associated proteins (talin, vinculin
, alpha-actinin), As previous studies have demonstrated the presence i
n psoriatic lesions of marked alterations in both the basement membran
e molecular composition and the polarized expression of integrins, we
decided to determine whether alterations in the behaviour of the actin
-associated proteins could be demonstrated, We thus undertook an immun
olocalization study with monoclonal antibodies directed against talin,
vinculin, and a-actinin in cutaneous biopsies taken from involved and
uninvolved skin of 12 patients with extensive chronic plaque psoriasi
s, The findings showed an almost total lack of reaction against talin
and vinculin in the basal layer and an increased positivity against: t
he proteins in the suprabasal layers, Similar, though less marked, alt
erations were present in uninvolved psoriatic skin, These results, in
agreement with those of previous studies, confirm serious alterations
in the matrix protein/cytoskeleton connection system, and support the
hypothesis that this condition may play a key role in the pathogenesis
of the disease.