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In Vivo Augmentation of Gut-Homing Regulatory T Cell Induction
Published on: January 22, 2020
Reduced skin homing by functional Treg in vitiligo
Jared Klarquist1, Cecele J Denman, Claudia Hernandez
1Departments of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology/Oncology Institute, Loyola University Chicago, IL, USA.
Pigment Cell & Melanoma Research
|February 24, 2010
Summary
Vitiligo skin shows fewer regulatory T cells (Treg), suggesting their local absence fuels depigmentation. Circulating Treg remain functional but may fail to reach the skin due to reduced chemokine signals.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Dermatology
- Autoimmune Diseases
Background:
- Vitiligo involves cytotoxic T cells attacking melanocytes.
- The role of regulatory T cells (Treg) in vitiligo progression is unclear.
- Reduced Treg in affected skin could permit ongoing depigmentation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the presence and function of Treg in vitiligo skin and circulation.
- To determine if Treg dysfunction or reduced homing contributes to vitiligo pathogenesis.
- To explore the role of chemokine signaling in Treg skin infiltration.
Main Methods:
- Immunoenzymatic staining (CD3, FoxP3) for skin-infiltrating Treg.
- Flow cytometry (FACS) for circulating Treg analysis (CD4, CD25, CD127, FoxP3).
- Mixed lymphocyte reactions to assess Treg activity.
- Immunohistochemistry for chemokine CCL22 expression in skin.
Main Results:
- Drastically reduced Treg numbers were found in non-lesional, perilesional, and lesional vitiligo skin.
- Circulating Treg in vitiligo patients showed normal abundance and activity.
- Reduced CCL22 expression in vitiligo skin suggests impaired Treg homing.
- Treg from vitiligo patients and controls exhibited similar migration towards CCL22.
Conclusions:
- Paucity of Treg within vitiligo skin, not systemic deficiency, is linked to progressive depigmentation.
- Impaired homing of functional Treg to the skin, potentially due to reduced CCL22, may perpetuate anti-melanocyte reactivity.
- Findings highlight the critical role of local immune regulation in vitiligo.
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