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Published on: July 4, 2018
Mast cell degranulation and the role of T cell RANTES in oral lichen planus
Z Z Zhao1, P B Sugerman, X J Zhou
1School of Dentistry, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
Objectives:
The present study investigated mast cell degranulation in oral lichen planus (OLP) and the effect of OLP lesional T cell supernatants on mast cell degranulation.
Materials And Methods:
Immunohistochemistry was used to identify mast cell degranulation in both OLP (n = 22) and normal control (n = 14) tissues. OLP lesional T cell lines (n = 5) and HMC-1 (a human leukemia mast cell line) were used to examine the effects of OLP T cell supernatants on mast cell degranulation in vitro.
Results:
Approximately 60% of mast cells were degranulated in OLP. OLP lesional T cells expressed mRNA for RANTES, and TNF-alpha stimulation upregulated OLP lesional T cell RANTES secretion. OLP lesional T cell supernatants induced degranulation of HMC-1 with release of TNF-alpha and histamine. Human recombinant RANTES similarly induced mast cell degranulation. Anti-RANTES antibody blocked OLP lesional T cell supernatant-induced mast cell degranulation.
Conclusions:
This study is the first to show that OLP lesional T cells produce and secrete RANTES which triggers human mast cell degranulation. Degranulating mast cells release TNF-alpha which upregulates OLP lesional T cell RANTES secretion. Such a cyclical mechanism may underlie disease chronicity and future therapies may include blocking RANTES or TNF-alpha activity in OLP.
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