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Zengin S, Guthrie J, Zoumberos N, Hamza M, Shalin SC. Sebaceous gland atrophy due to seborrheic dermatitis in a patient with alopecia: A potential pitfall. J Cutan Pathol 2024; 51:513-517. [PMID: 38613429 DOI: 10.1111/cup.14623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2023] [Revised: 03/18/2024] [Accepted: 04/01/2024] [Indexed: 04/15/2024]
Abstract
Seborrheic dermatitis is an inflammatory condition that usually presents with erythema, scaly greasy papules, and plaques affecting sebaceous gland-rich areas and predominantly involving the face and scalp. The diagnosis of seborrheic dermatitis can often be rendered based on the clinical presentation. However, in certain cases, a biopsy can be useful to distinguish it from clinical mimics such as psoriasis, discoid lupus, and rosacea. Prominent sebaceous gland atrophy without scarring has been well-described as an important and relatively specific clue for psoriatic or drug-induced alopecia. However, sebaceous gland atrophy is not specific to psoriasis and has been demonstrated in seborrheic dermatitis, facial discoid dermatitis, and potentially may occur in other inflammatory dermatoses of the scalp. We report a 23-year-old female patient presenting with non-scarring hair loss and histopathological findings demonstrating mild androgenetic alopecia and changes of seborrheic dermatitis with dramatic sebaceous gland atrophy. The patient had no history or evidence of psoriasis clinically. Our case suggests that in patients with seborrheic dermatitis, sebaceous gland atrophy may complicate the evaluation of alopecia biopsies and should be recognized as a pitfall. Seborrheic dermatitis should be included in the differential diagnosis of alopecia biopsies showing prominent sebaceous gland atrophy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sena Zengin
- Department of Pathology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA
| | - Jacey Guthrie
- Gibson and Guthrie Dermatology, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA
| | - Nicholas Zoumberos
- Department of Pathology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA
| | - Mugahed Hamza
- Department of Pathology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA
| | - Sara C Shalin
- Department of Pathology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA
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2
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Seiringer P, Hillig C, Schäbitz A, Jargosch M, Pilz AC, Eyerich S, Szegedi A, Sochorová M, Gruber F, Zouboulis CC, Biedermann T, Menden MP, Eyerich K, Törőcsik D. Spatial transcriptomics reveals altered lipid metabolism and inflammation-related gene expression of sebaceous glands in psoriasis and atopic dermatitis. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1334844. [PMID: 38433843 PMCID: PMC10904577 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1334844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Sebaceous glands drive acne, however, their role in other inflammatory skin diseases remains unclear. To shed light on their potential contribution to disease development, we investigated the spatial transcriptome of sebaceous glands in psoriasis and atopic dermatitis patients across lesional and non-lesional human skin samples. Both atopic dermatitis and psoriasis sebaceous glands expressed genes encoding key proteins for lipid metabolism and transport such as ALOX15B, APOC1, FABP7, FADS1/2, FASN, PPARG, and RARRES1. Also, inflammation-related SAA1 was identified as a common spatially variable gene. In atopic dermatitis, genes mainly related to lipid metabolism (e.g. ACAD8, FADS6, or EBP) as well as disease-specific genes, i.e., Th2 inflammation-related lipid-regulating HSD3B1 were differentially expressed. On the contrary, in psoriasis, more inflammation-related spatially variable genes (e.g. SERPINF1, FKBP5, IFIT1/3, DDX58) were identified. Other psoriasis-specific enriched pathways included lipid metabolism (e.g. ACOT4, S1PR3), keratinization (e.g. LCE5A, KRT5/7/16), neutrophil degranulation, and antimicrobial peptides (e.g. LTF, DEFB4A, S100A7-9). In conclusion, our results show that sebaceous glands contribute to skin homeostasis with a cell type-specific lipid metabolism, which is influenced by the inflammatory microenvironment. These findings further support that sebaceous glands are not bystanders in inflammatory skin diseases, but can actively and differentially modulate inflammation in a disease-specific manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Seiringer
- Department of Dermatology and Allergy, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- Division of Dermatology and Venereology, Department of Medicine Solna, and Center for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Christina Hillig
- Institute of Computational Biology, Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Centre for Environmental Health, Munich, Germany
| | - Alexander Schäbitz
- Department of Dermatology and Allergy, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- Division of Dermatology and Venereology, Department of Medicine Solna, and Center for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Manja Jargosch
- Department of Dermatology and Allergy, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- Zentrum für Allergie und Umwelt (ZAUM) - Center of Allergy and Environment, Technical University of Munich and Helmholtz Zentrum München, Munich, Germany
| | - Anna Caroline Pilz
- Department of Dermatology and Allergy, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Stefanie Eyerich
- Zentrum für Allergie und Umwelt (ZAUM) - Center of Allergy and Environment, Technical University of Munich and Helmholtz Zentrum München, Munich, Germany
| | - Andrea Szegedi
- Department of Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
- Hungarian Research Network (HUN-REN DE), Allergology Research Group, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Michaela Sochorová
- Division for Biology and Pathobiology of the Skin, Department of Dermatology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Christian Doppler Laboratory for Skin Multimodal Analytical Imaging of Aging and Senescence (SKINMAGINE), Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Florian Gruber
- Division for Biology and Pathobiology of the Skin, Department of Dermatology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Christian Doppler Laboratory for Skin Multimodal Analytical Imaging of Aging and Senescence (SKINMAGINE), Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Christos C Zouboulis
- Departments of Dermatology, Venereology, Allergology and Immunology, Staedtisches Klinikum Dessau, Brandenburg Medical School Theodor Fontane and Faculty of Health Sciences Brandenburg, Dessau, Germany
| | - Tilo Biedermann
- Department of Dermatology and Allergy, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Michael P Menden
- Institute of Computational Biology, Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Centre for Environmental Health, Munich, Germany
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Kilian Eyerich
- Division of Dermatology and Venereology, Department of Medicine Solna, and Center for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Daniel Törőcsik
- Department of Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
- Hungarian Research Network (HUN-REN DE), Allergology Research Group, Debrecen, Hungary
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Zouboulis CC, Coenye T, He L, Kabashima K, Kobayashi T, Niemann C, Nomura T, Oláh A, Picardo M, Quist SR, Sasano H, Schneider MR, Törőcsik D, Wong SY. Sebaceous immunobiology - skin homeostasis, pathophysiology, coordination of innate immunity and inflammatory response and disease associations. Front Immunol 2022; 13:1029818. [PMID: 36439142 PMCID: PMC9686445 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1029818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 08/01/2023] Open
Abstract
This review presents several aspects of the innovative concept of sebaceous immunobiology, which summarizes the numerous activities of the sebaceous gland including its classical physiological and pathophysiological tasks, namely sebum production and the development of seborrhea and acne. Sebaceous lipids, which represent 90% of the skin surface lipids in adolescents and adults, are markedly involved in the skin barrier function and perifollicular and dermal innate immune processes, leading to inflammatory skin diseases. Innovative experimental techniques using stem cell and sebocyte models have clarified the roles of distinct stem cells in sebaceous gland physiology and sebocyte function control mechanisms. The sebaceous gland represents an integral part of the pilosebaceous unit and its status is connected to hair follicle morphogenesis. Interestingly, professional inflammatory cells contribute to sebocyte differentiation and homeostasis, whereas the regulation of sebaceous gland function by immune cells is antigen-independent. Inflammation is involved in the very earliest differentiation changes of the pilosebaceous unit in acne. Sebocytes behave as potent immune regulators, integrating into the innate immune responses of the skin. Expressing inflammatory mediators, sebocytes also contribute to the polarization of cutaneous T cells towards the Th17 phenotype. In addition, the immune response of the perifollicular infiltrate depends on factors produced by the sebaceous glands, mostly sebaceous lipids. Human sebocytes in vitro express functional pattern recognition receptors, which are likely to interact with bacteria in acne pathogenesis. Sex steroids, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor ligands, neuropeptides, endocannabinoids and a selective apoptotic process contribute to a complex regulation of sebocyte-induced immunological reaction in numerous acquired and congenital skin diseases, including hair diseases and atopic dermatitis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christos C. Zouboulis
- Departments of Dermatology, Venereology, Allergology and Immunology, Dessau Medical Center, Brandenburg Medical School Theodor Fontane and Faculty of Health Sciences Brandenburg, Dessau, Germany
| | - Tom Coenye
- Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Microbiology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Li He
- Department of Dermatology, First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Kenji Kabashima
- Department of Dermatology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Tetsuro Kobayashi
- Laboratory for Innate Immune Systems, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences (IMS), Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Catherin Niemann
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, CMMC Research Institute, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Center for Biochemistry, Medical Faculty, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Takashi Nomura
- Department of Dermatology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Attila Oláh
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Mauro Picardo
- San Gallicano Dermatologic Institute, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Sven R. Quist
- Department of Dermatology, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Hironobu Sasano
- Department of Pathology, Tohoku University School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan
| | - Marlon R. Schneider
- Institute of Veterinary Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Daniel Törőcsik
- Department of Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen and ELKH-DE Allergology Research Group, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Sunny Y. Wong
- Departments of Dermatology and Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
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Na HW, Kim HS, Choi H, Cha N, Seo YR, Hong YD, Kim HJ. Transcriptome Analysis of Particulate Matter 2.5-Induced Abnormal Effects on Human Sebocytes. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms231911534. [PMID: 36232834 PMCID: PMC9570376 DOI: 10.3390/ijms231911534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Revised: 09/18/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5), an atmospheric pollutant with an aerodynamic diameter of <2.5 μm, can cause serious human health problems, including skin damage. Since sebocytes are involved in the regulation of skin homeostasis, it is necessary to study the effects of PM2.5 on sebocytes. We examined the role of PM2.5 via the identification of differentially expressed genes, functional enrichment and canonical pathway analysis, upstream regulator analysis, and disease and biological function analysis through mRNA sequencing. Xenobiotic and lipid metabolism, inflammation, oxidative stress, and cell barrier damage-related pathways were enriched; additionally, PM2.5 altered steroid hormone biosynthesis and retinol metabolism-related pathways. Consequently, PM2.5 increased lipid synthesis, lipid peroxidation, inflammatory cytokine expression, and oxidative stress and altered the lipid composition and expression of factors that affect cell barriers. Furthermore, PM2.5 altered the activity of sterol regulatory element binding proteins, mitogen-activated protein kinases, transforming growth factor beta-SMAD, and forkhead box O3-mediated pathways. We also suggest that the alterations in retinol and estrogen metabolism by PM2.5 are related to the damage. These results were validated using the HairSkin® model. Thus, our results provide evidence of the harmful effects of PM2.5 on sebocytes as well as new targets for alleviating the skin damage it causes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hye-Won Na
- Research and Innovation Center, AMOREPACIFIC, Yongin 17074, Korea
| | - Hyun Soo Kim
- Department of Life Science, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Dongguk University Biomedi Campus, Goyang 10326, Korea
| | - Hyunjung Choi
- Research and Innovation Center, AMOREPACIFIC, Yongin 17074, Korea
| | - Nari Cha
- Research and Innovation Center, AMOREPACIFIC, Yongin 17074, Korea
| | - Young Rok Seo
- Department of Life Science, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Dongguk University Biomedi Campus, Goyang 10326, Korea
| | - Yong Deog Hong
- Research and Innovation Center, AMOREPACIFIC, Yongin 17074, Korea
| | - Hyoung-June Kim
- Research and Innovation Center, AMOREPACIFIC, Yongin 17074, Korea
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +82-31-280-5827; Fax: +82-31-899-2595
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D'Amico F, Costantino G, Salvatorelli L, Ramondetta A, De Pasquale R, Sortino MA, Merlo S. Inverse correlation between the expression of AMPK/SIRT1 and NAMPT in psoriatic skin: A pilot study. Adv Med Sci 2022; 67:262-268. [PMID: 35839539 DOI: 10.1016/j.advms.2022.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2022] [Revised: 04/23/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Epidermal hyperplasia and the involvement of immune cells characterize the clinical picture of psoriasis. Among the several factors involved, attention has been focused on sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) - a deacetylase endowed with a variety of functions including the control of metabolic and inflammatory processes-, and on nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT), important for SIRT1 activation and involved in inflammatory events. The aim of the study was to analyze changes of SIRT1 and NAMPT expression in psoriatic skin. PATIENTS AND METHODS Samples from healthy controls and psoriatic patients were subjected to immunohistochemical analysis. RESULTS A strong downregulation of SIRT1 expression was observed in skin samples from psoriatic patients compared to healthy controls. This was accompanied by a parallel reduction of adenosine monophosphate-activated kinase (AMPK) expression and, more strikingly, by the disappearance of cells immunolabeled for its active, phosphorylated form (pAMPK). In both cases, analysis of the distribution of immunopositive cells revealed a shift towards reduced intensity of staining. In contrast, NAMPT expression was upregulated in psoriatic samples in line with its pro-inflammatory role. This was again more visible with an intensity-based distribution analysis that evidenced a shift towards more intensely immunostained cell populations. CONCLUSIONS The present data correlate in the same samples the expression of SIRT1, pAMPK/AMPK and NAMPT in psoriasis and open the way for novel pharmacological targets in the treatment of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabio D'Amico
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, Section of Pathology, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Costantino
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, Section of Pharmacology, University of Catania, Catania, Italy; PhD Program in Neuroscience and Education, University of Foggia, Foggia, Italy
| | - Lucia Salvatorelli
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences and Advanced Technologies, Section of Anatomic Pathology, School of Medicine, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | | | - Rocco De Pasquale
- Department of General Surgery and Medico-Surgical Specialties, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Maria Angela Sortino
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, Section of Pharmacology, University of Catania, Catania, Italy.
| | - Sara Merlo
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, Section of Pharmacology, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
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Tsao CH, Hsieh WC, Yang RY, Lo YH, Tu TJ, Ke LY, Zouboulis CC, Liu FT. Galectin-12 modulates sebocyte proliferation and cell cycle progression by regulating cyclin A1 and CDK2. Glycobiology 2021; 32:73-82. [PMID: 34791227 DOI: 10.1093/glycob/cwab100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2021] [Revised: 08/05/2021] [Accepted: 08/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Enhanced sebocyte proliferation is associated with the pathogenesis of human skin diseases related to sebaceous gland hyperfunction and androgens, which are known to induce sebocyte proliferation, are key mediators of this process. Galectin-12, a member of the β-galactoside-binding lectin family that is preferentially expressed by adipocytes and functions as an intrinsic negative regulator of lipolysis, has been shown to be expressed by human sebocytes. In this study, we identified galectin-12 as an important intracellular regulator of sebocyte proliferation. Galectin-12 knockdown in the human SZ95 sebocyte line suppressed cell proliferation, and its overexpression promoted cell cycle progression. Inhibition of galectin-12 expression reduced the androgen-induced SZ95 sebocyte proliferation and growth of sebaceous glands in mice, respectively. The mRNA expression of the key cell cycle regulators cyclin A1 (CCNA1) and cyclin-dependent kinase 2CDK2 was reduced in galectin-12 knockdown SZ95 sebocytes, suggesting a pathway of galectin-12 regulation of sebocyte proliferation. Further, galectin-12 enhanced peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) expression and transcriptional activity in SZ95 sebocytes, consistent with our previous studies in adipocytes. Rosiglitazone, a PPARγ ligand, induced CCNA1 levels, suggesting that galectin-12 may upregulate CCNA1 expression via PPARγ. Our findings suggest the possibility of targeting galectin-12 to treat human sebaceous gland hyperfunction and androgen-associated skin diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ching-Han Tsao
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, 128 Academia Road, Section 2, Taipei 11529, Taiwan.,Ph.D. Program in Translational Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University and Academia Sinica
| | - Wei-Chen Hsieh
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, 128 Academia Road, Section 2, Taipei 11529, Taiwan
| | - Ri-Yao Yang
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Yuan-Hsin Lo
- Department of Dermatology, Fu Jen Catholic University Hospital, Fu Jen Catholic University, No. 69, Guizi Road, New Taipei City 24352, Taiwan
| | - Ting-Jui Tu
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, 128 Academia Road, Section 2, Taipei 11529, Taiwan
| | - Liang-Yin Ke
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, College of Health Sciences, Kaohsiung Medical University, No.100, Shih-Chuan 1st Road, Kaohsiung 80708, Taiwan
| | - Christos C Zouboulis
- Departments of Dermatology, Venereology, Allergology and Immunology, Dessau Medical Center, Brandenburg Medical School Theodor Fontane and Faculty of Health Sciences Brandenburg, Auenweg 38, Dessau 06847, Germany
| | - Fu-Tong Liu
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, 128 Academia Road, Section 2, Taipei 11529, Taiwan.,Department of Dermatology, School of Medicine, University of California-Davis, 3301 C Street Suite 1300 - 1400, Sacramento, CA 95816, USA
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King NY, Mesiano D, Ahmed I, Carr RA. A common cause of hair loss? Clin Exp Dermatol 2020; 46:203-206. [PMID: 33031596 DOI: 10.1111/ced.14452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2020] [Revised: 08/09/2020] [Accepted: 08/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- N Y King
- Departments of, Department of, Dermatology, University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire, Coventry, UK
| | - D Mesiano
- Departments of, Department of, Histopathology, University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire, Coventry, UK
| | - I Ahmed
- Departments of, Department of, Dermatology, University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire, Coventry, UK
| | - R A Carr
- Department of Histopathology, South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust, Warwick, UK
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Clayton RW, Langan EA, Ansell DM, de Vos IJHM, Göbel K, Schneider MR, Picardo M, Lim X, van Steensel MAM, Paus R. Neuroendocrinology and neurobiology of sebaceous glands. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2020; 95:592-624. [PMID: 31970855 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2019] [Revised: 12/17/2019] [Accepted: 12/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The nervous system communicates with peripheral tissues through nerve fibres and the systemic release of hypothalamic and pituitary neurohormones. Communication between the nervous system and the largest human organ, skin, has traditionally received little attention. In particular, the neuro-regulation of sebaceous glands (SGs), a major skin appendage, is rarely considered. Yet, it is clear that the SG is under stringent pituitary control, and forms a fascinating, clinically relevant peripheral target organ in which to study the neuroendocrine and neural regulation of epithelia. Sebum, the major secretory product of the SG, is composed of a complex mixture of lipids resulting from the holocrine secretion of specialised epithelial cells (sebocytes). It is indicative of a role of the neuroendocrine system in SG function that excess circulating levels of growth hormone, thyroxine or prolactin result in increased sebum production (seborrhoea). Conversely, growth hormone deficiency, hypothyroidism, and adrenal insufficiency result in reduced sebum production and dry skin. Furthermore, the androgen sensitivity of SGs appears to be under neuroendocrine control, as hypophysectomy (removal of the pituitary) renders SGs largely insensitive to stimulation by testosterone, which is crucial for maintaining SG homeostasis. However, several neurohormones, such as adrenocorticotropic hormone and α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone, can stimulate sebum production independently of either the testes or the adrenal glands, further underscoring the importance of neuroendocrine control in SG biology. Moreover, sebocytes synthesise several neurohormones and express their receptors, suggestive of the presence of neuro-autocrine mechanisms of sebocyte modulation. Aside from the neuroendocrine system, it is conceivable that secretion of neuropeptides and neurotransmitters from cutaneous nerve endings may also act on sebocytes or their progenitors, given that the skin is richly innervated. However, to date, the neural controls of SG development and function remain poorly investigated and incompletely understood. Botulinum toxin-mediated or facial paresis-associated reduction of human sebum secretion suggests that cutaneous nerve-derived substances modulate lipid and inflammatory cytokine synthesis by sebocytes, possibly implicating the nervous system in acne pathogenesis. Additionally, evidence suggests that cutaneous denervation in mice alters the expression of key regulators of SG homeostasis. In this review, we examine the current evidence regarding neuroendocrine and neurobiological regulation of human SG function in physiology and pathology. We further call attention to this line of research as an instructive model for probing and therapeutically manipulating the mechanistic links between the nervous system and mammalian skin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard W Clayton
- Centre for Dermatology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Manchester, and NIHR Manchester Biomedical Research Centre, Stopford Building, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PT, U.K.,Skin Research Institute of Singapore, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, 11 Mandalay Road, #17-01 Clinical Sciences Building, 308232, Singapore
| | - Ewan A Langan
- Centre for Dermatology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Manchester, and NIHR Manchester Biomedical Research Centre, Stopford Building, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PT, U.K.,Department of Dermatology, Allergology und Venereology, University of Lübeck, Ratzeburger Allee 160, Lübeck, 23538, Germany
| | - David M Ansell
- Centre for Dermatology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Manchester, and NIHR Manchester Biomedical Research Centre, Stopford Building, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PT, U.K.,Division of Cell Matrix Biology and Regenerative Medicine, University of Manchester, Michael Smith Building, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PT, U.K
| | - Ivo J H M de Vos
- Skin Research Institute of Singapore, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, 11 Mandalay Road, #17-01 Clinical Sciences Building, 308232, Singapore
| | - Klaus Göbel
- Skin Research Institute of Singapore, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, 11 Mandalay Road, #17-01 Clinical Sciences Building, 308232, Singapore.,Department of Dermatology, Cologne Excellence Cluster on Stress Responses in Aging Associated Diseases (CECAD), and Centre for Molecular Medicine Cologne, The University of Cologne, Joseph-Stelzmann-Straße 26, Cologne, 50931, Germany
| | - Marlon R Schneider
- German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), German Centre for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), Max-Dohrn-Straße 8-10, Berlin, 10589, Germany
| | - Mauro Picardo
- Cutaneous Physiopathology and Integrated Centre of Metabolomics Research, San Gallicano Dermatological Institute IRCCS, Via Elio Chianesi 53, Rome, 00144, Italy
| | - Xinhong Lim
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, 639798, Singapore
| | - Maurice A M van Steensel
- Skin Research Institute of Singapore, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, 11 Mandalay Road, #17-01 Clinical Sciences Building, 308232, Singapore.,Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, 639798, Singapore
| | - Ralf Paus
- Centre for Dermatology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Manchester, and NIHR Manchester Biomedical Research Centre, Stopford Building, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PT, U.K.,Dr. Phllip Frost Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, 1600 NW 10th Avenue, RMSB 2023A, Miami, FL, 33136, U.S.A.,Monasterium Laboratory, Mendelstraße 17, Münster, 48149, Germany
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9
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Sugawara T, Nakagawa N, Shimizu N, Hirai N, Saijo Y, Sakai S. Gender- and age-related differences in facial sebaceous glands in Asian skin, as observed by non-invasive analysis using three-dimensional ultrasound microscopy. Skin Res Technol 2019; 25:347-354. [PMID: 30609153 DOI: 10.1111/srt.12657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2018] [Revised: 09/30/2018] [Accepted: 12/08/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND While determining sebaceous gland morphology is useful in the treatment of skin disorders such as acne, a non-invasive assessment method has not been developed. Since age and gender affect sebum level, differences in sebaceous gland morphology according to these factors were investigated. METHODS Facial skin was measured using a high-frequency three-dimensional ultrasound microscope. First, the ultrasound images were compared with skin sections. Next, we assessed sebaceous gland morphology. Images of sebaceous gland in the cheeks of young male, young female and elderly female subjects were obtained using ultrasound microscopy, and en face images were processed to measure the sebaceous gland area. RESULTS In the ultrasound images, sebaceous glands and also thin collagen fibers, which surrounded the glands, could be detected as low-intensity regions. We called them sebaceous units. In young male subjects, the sebaceous unit areas 900-μm beneath the skin surface were larger than those at 700 μm. In contrast, depth-dependent differences in sebaceous unit area were not observed in young female subjects, indicating that males had cauliflower-shaped sebaceous glands while young females had somewhat more cylindrical and smaller sebaceous glands than the young males. Regarding age, the areas of sebaceous units at 900 μm were diminished and the depth of maximum area was shallower in elderly female subjects compared to young female subjects. Hence, sebaceous glands are considered to shrink with age. CONCLUSION Differences in facial sebaceous unit morphology between genders as well as by age groups could be observed using high-frequency ultrasound microscopy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomoko Sugawara
- Skin Care Products Research, Kao Corporation, Odawara, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Noriaki Nakagawa
- Skin Care Products Research, Kao Corporation, Odawara, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Norio Shimizu
- Skin Care Products Research, Kao Corporation, Odawara, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Nami Hirai
- Skin Care Products Research, Kao Corporation, Odawara, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Yoshifumi Saijo
- Biomedical Imaging Laboratory, Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering, Tohoku University, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan
| | - Shingo Sakai
- Skin Care Products Research, Kao Corporation, Odawara, Kanagawa, Japan
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10
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Schneider MR, Zouboulis CC. Primary sebocytes and sebaceous gland cell lines for studying sebaceous lipogenesis and sebaceous gland diseases. Exp Dermatol 2018; 27:484-488. [DOI: 10.1111/exd.13513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/09/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Marlon R. Schneider
- German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR); German Centre for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R); Berlin Germany
| | - Christos C. Zouboulis
- Departments of Dermatology, Venereology, Allergology and Immunology; Dessau Medical Center; Brandenburg Medical School Theodore Fontane; Dessau Germany
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11
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Lovászi M, Szegedi A, Zouboulis CC, Törőcsik D. Sebaceous-immunobiology is orchestrated by sebum lipids. DERMATO-ENDOCRINOLOGY 2017; 9:e1375636. [PMID: 29484100 PMCID: PMC5821166 DOI: 10.1080/19381980.2017.1375636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2017] [Accepted: 08/31/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The major role of sebaceous glands in mammals is to produce sebum, which coats the epidermis and the hair providing waterproofing, thermoregulation and photoprotection. However, as the need for these functions decreased along the evolutionary changes in humans, a relevant question has been raised: are sebaceous glands and sebum the remnants of our mammalian heritage or do they have overtaken a far more complex role in human skin biology? Trying to provide answers to this question, this review introduces the evolving field of sebaceous immunobiology and puts into the focus the pathways that sebum lipids use to influence the immune milieu of the skin. By introducing possible modifiers of sebaceous lipogenesis and discussing the – human-specific – alterations in composition and amount of sebum, the attribute of sebum as a sensitive tool, which is capable of translating multiple signalling pathways into the dermal micro environment is presented. Further their interaction with macrophages and keratinocytes involves sebum lipid fractions into disease pathogenesis, which could lead – on the other side – to the development of novel sebum-based therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marianna Lovászi
- Department of Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Andrea Szegedi
- Department of Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary.,Division of Dermatological Allergology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Christos C Zouboulis
- Departments of Dermatology, Venereology, Allergology and Immunology, Dessau Medical Center, Brandenburg Medical School Theodore Fontane, Dessau, Germany
| | - Dániel Törőcsik
- Department of Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
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