Expression of bcl-2 protein in active skin lesions of Behçet's disease

Serum GAS6, sAXL, IL-10, NO, and BCL-2 levels are decreased in patients with Behçet's disease

PURPOSE

Behçet's disease (BD) is an autoimmune chronic systemic inflammatory disease characterized by a versatile clinical spectrum. Growth arrest specific protein 6 (GAS6)/soluble AXL (sAXL) signaling pathway draws attention in the resolution of inflammation, and its deficiency is associated with chronic inflammatory, autoimmune diseases, as well as clearance of apoptotic cells by phagocytes - efferocytosis. In this study, it was aimed to investigate whether GAS6/sAXL, interleukin (IL)-10, nitric oxide (NO), and BCL-2 levels were associated with inflammation and efferocytosis contributes to the pathogenesis of BD.

METHODS

A total of 37 Behçet patients with ocular involvement and 30 healthy control subjects were included in this study. GAS6, sAXL, IL-10, NO, and BCL-2 levels were quantified using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method.

RESULTS

Serum GAS6, sAXL, IL-10, NO, and BCL-2 levels were significantly lower in patients with BD compared to the controls (P < 0.005, P < 0.001, P < 0.001, P < 0.001, and P < 0.001, respectively). In correlation analysis, research parameters decreased in patients with BD was significantly correlated with each other: GAS6-IL-10 (r = 0.585, P < 0.001), GAS6-BCL-2 (r = 0.541, P < 0.001), sAXL-BCL-2 (r = 0.696, P < 0.001), IL-10-NO (r = 0.717, P < 0.001), IL-10-BCL-2 (r = 0.759, P < 0.001), and NO-BCL-2 (r = 0.541, P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, decreased serum BCL-2 level may be an indicator of increased apoptosis in these patients and decreased levels of GAS6/sAXL, IL-10, and NO may indicate insufficient clearance of apoptotic bodies released as a result of increased apoptosis in BD patients.

Apoptosis and clinical severity in patients with psoriasis and HCV infection

BACKGROUND

It has been proposed that hepatitis C virus (HCV) antigens are involved in the pathogenesis of psoriasis and may contribute to severity of the disease. Increased expression of the apoptosis-regulating proteins p53 and tTG and decreased levels of bcl-2 in the keratinocytes of the skin of psoriatic patients have been reported.

AIM

This study aims to identify the serum levels of apoptosis-regulating proteins in patients with psoriasis and without HCV infection and to study the relation between clinical severity of psoriasis and the presence of HCV infection.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Disease severity was assessed by psoriasis area severity index score (PASI) of 90 patients with psoriasis grouped as mild (n = 30), moderate (n = 30) and severe (n = 30); 20 healthy individuals were used as controls. All groups were subjected for complete history taking, clinical examination, and tests for liver function and HCV infection. The serum levels of apoptosis related proteins: p53, tTG and bcl-2 were estimated by enzyme linked immune sorbent assay (ELISA).

RESULTS

There was a statistically significant (P < 0.001) correlation between clinical severity of psoriasis and presence of HCV antibodies and HCV-mRNA. In addition, significantly (P < 0.001) raised serum p53 and tTG, and reduced bcl-2 were observed among HCV-positive patients as compared to HCV-negative patients and control patients.

CONCLUSION

These results conclude that clinical severity of psoriasis is affected by the presence of HCV antibodies and overexpression of apoptotic related proteins. In addition, altered serum levels of apoptosis-regulating proteins could be useful prognostic markers and therapeutic targets of psoriatic disease.

Expression of COX-2 and bcl-2 in oral lichen planus lesions and lichenoid reactions

Oral lichen planus and lichenoid reactions are autoimmune type inflammatory conditions of the oral mucosa with similar clinical and histological characteristics. Recent data suggest that oral lichenoid reactions (OLR) present a greater percentage of malignant transformation than oral lichen planus (OLP).

Influence of extracellular matrix on cytokine stimulated pro-labour gene expression in human uterine myocytes

Cellular function is modulated by the interaction with the extracellular matrix within the myometrium. We formed the hypothesis that the cytokine-stimulated pro-labour gene expression by human uterine smooth muscle cells would be increased by growing the cells on collagen-coated plates. Primary cultures of human uterine smooth muscle cells grown on uncoated plates and on plates coated with collagen were exposed to the inflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-1beta and interleukin-6) and assessed the messenger RNA expression of oxytocin receptor, interleukin-8, prostaglandin H synthase type-2 and prostaglandin F(2) alpha receptor. Basal pro-labour gene expression was unaffected by collagen coating and the response to the inflammatory cytokines was similar for oxytocin receptor and prostaglandin H synthase type-2, but appeared to be reduced for interleukin-8 and enhanced for FP. Collagen coating made no significant impact on basal integrin expression and interleukin-1beta induced phosphorylation of extracellular-regulated-kinase1/2 and RelA subunit of nuclear factor-kappa B (p65). We conclude that growing human uterine smooth muscle cells on collagen-coated plates may modulate the pro-labour gene response to the inflammatory cytokines.

Expression of cytokeratins, adhesion and activation molecules in oral ulcers of Behçet's disease

BACKGROUND

Behçet's disease (BD) is a multisystemic inflammatory disorder of which oral aphthous ulceration is a major feature. AIMS/HYPOTHESIS. This study sought to determine the role of cytokeratins, differentiation and proliferation markers, gammadelta T-cell adhesion and activation molecules, and apoptotic markers in oral ulcers of this disease.

METHODS

Expression patterns for cytokeratins (K1, K6, K14, K15, K16), integrins (beta1 and alpha6), CD3 T-cell and gammadelta T-cell adhesion and activation markers [CD40, CD44, CD54, ICAM-1, CD58, leucocyte function-associated antigen (LFA)-3, vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1), CD86], and cellular proliferation and differentiation markers (Ki67 and involucrin), and apoptotic markers (CD95 and Bcl-2) in oral ulcers of nine patients with BD and four healthy controls were analysed by immunohistochemistry.

RESULTS

K14, K15 and involucrin expression were unchanged, whereas Ki67, the proliferation marker, was reduced by around 50%. K1, K6, K16, beta1 integrin and the apoptotic marker CD95 were upregulated, whereas alpha6 integrin and Bcl-2 were downregulated in BD samples. CD3 and gammadelta T-cell expression and other adhesion molecules including CD44, CD86, CD58 (LFA-3), VCAM-1 and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (CD54) were upregulated, whereas CD40 showed little change.

CONCLUSIONS

Our data demonstrates changes in cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix interactions that affect cell homeostasis and may participate in the formation of oral ulcers in BD.

Fas (CD95) and bcl-2 expression in active skin lesions of Behcet's disease

Over-expression of bcl-2 in lymphocytes has an important role in some immunological and inflammatory diseases. Fas (CD95) is a cell surface molecule that mediates receptor-triggered apoptosis in various cells including autoreactive T cells. In this study we investigated bcl-2 and Fas (CD95) expression in dermal lymphocytes in active skin lesions of Behçet's disease (BD) and in skin biopsy samples with chronic, non-specific inflammations. Tissue sections of 29 skin lesions of Behçet's disease and of 10 chronic non-specific inflammatory process cases from the archives of the Ondokuz Mayis University's Pathology Department were immunohistochemically stained for bcl-2 and Fas (CD95), and lymphocytes in the dermal infiltrate were evaluated for cytoplasmic staining. bcl-2 staining was observed in the skin lesions of 22 cases (75.8%) of Behçet's disease. bcl-2 staining was detected in two (20%) control skin biopsy samples with non-specific chronic inflammation. Fas (CD95) positivity was not detected in lymphocytes in Behçet's disease-related skin lesions. Fas (CD95) staining was observed in only three skin biopsy samples with non-specific chronic inflammation. bcl-2 and Fas (CD95) staining values in Behçet's and non-specific inflammation groups were significantly different (P < 0.01); differences in the bcl-2 staining values between Behçet's patients with mucocutaneous involvement only and mucocutaneous and other systemic involvements were not significant (P > 0.05). Expression of bcl-2 and loss of Fas (CD95) expression in dermal lymphocytes may play a role in the development of skin lesions and may account for the chronic course with periodic exacerbations in BD.

Overexpression of bcl-2 in lymphocytes of psoriatic skin

Bcl-2 overexpression in lymphocytes play an important part in immunological and inflammatory diseases. In the present study, we investigated the bcl-2 expression in dermal lymphocytes of psoriatic skin biopsy samples. From the archives of the Department of Pathology, Ondokuz Mayis University Medical School (Samsun, Turkey), tissue sections belonging to 28 psoriasis cases and 10 chronic non-specific inflammatory skin disease cases were immunohistochemically stained by bcl-2. Positive staining was semiquantitatively graded from 1+ to 4+. Of the 28 psoriasis cases 20 were found to express bcl-2. Our data suggest that bcl-2-mediated inflammation plays a part in the pathogenesis and recurrent character of psoriasis.