Epidermal Langerhans cells, HIV-1 infection and psoriasis

Abstract

Langerhans cells (LCs) subserve an important antigen-presenting function in the skin immune system. They bear CD4 receptors, which make them potential targets for infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1). The observation of reduced numbers of LCs in the skin of patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), and the association of severe psoriasis with HIV-1 infection, raise interesting questions regarding the role of LCs in the skin of HIV-1-positive psoriatic patients. In this study, LCs were quantified in the lesional and non-lesional skin of seven HIV-1-positive psoriatic patients, and the results were compared with age-, sex- and site-matched HIV-1-negative psoriatic patients. The number of LCs was determined by staining skin sections with S-100 polyclonal antibody, using the three-step avidin-biotin immunoperoxidase method. The S-100-positive cells above the basal layer were quantified in two ways: cells/mm2 of epidermal area, and cells/mm of length of basement membrane. HIV-1-positive psoriatic patients showed a reduction in the number of epidermal LCs compared with HIV-1-negative psoriatic patients using both methods of quantification, in both lesional and non-lesional skin (P < 0.05, Mann-Whitney test). In addition, a reduction in the number of LCs in lesional compared with non-lesional skin was observed in both HIV-1-positive and -negative patients when LCs were quantified per mm2 of epidermal area (P < 0.05, Wilcoxon test).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Alterações dermatológicas em crianças com Aids e sua relação com categorias clínico-imunológicas e carga viral

“…17 crianças pertenciam à categoria 1, 13 à categoria 2, e 10 à categoria 3. A determinação da carga viral foi inferior a 100.000 cópias/ml em 30 pacientes e maior do que 100.000 cópias/ml em 10 crianças.…”

“…15 Furthermore, this cell may be present in lower numbers in the skin lesions of Aids patients. 16,17 The immune deregulation provoked by HIV causes abnormal stimulation of the keratinocyte. 13 Nevertheless, the likely functional alterations of these cells have not yet been established.…”

“…13,14 O HIV já foi detectado infectando as células de Langerhans da epiderme, 15 e além disso essa célula pode estar em menor número nas lesões da pele de pacientes com Aids. 16,17 A desregulação imune provocada pelo HIV causa estimulação anormal do queratinócito. 13 No entanto, as prováveis alterações funcionais dessas células ainda não estão estabelecidas.…”

HIV-assoziierte Psoriasis

“…Übereinstimmend wurden darüber hinaus ungwöhnlich schwere Verläufe von HIV-assoziierter Psoriasis bei einem Teil der Patienten beobachtet [10,20,22,25,30]. Histologische Untersuchungen zur HIV-assoziierten Psoriasis liegen demgegenüber nur vereinzelt vor [17,30,34].…”

“…So konnten mehrfach retrovirusähnliche Partikel von Patienten mit Psoriasis isoliert werden [7,19,33]. Auch HIV-Partikel wurden in Psoriasisläsionen, in Langerhans-Zellen und in normaler Haut nachgewiesen, die, sofern sie für die Pathogenese der Psoriasis eine Rolle spielen, durch AZT in ihrer Aktivität gehemmt werden könnten [23,34]. Eine In-vitro-Untersuchung an der humanen HaCaT Keratinozytenlinie zeigt alsis unter Einbeziehung von innerlich appliziertem Retinoid in Kombination mit SUP-Phototherapie bzw.…”