Acne inversa: evaluating antimicrobial peptides and proteins.

Area of Science:

• Dermatology
• Immunology
• Molecular Biology

Background:

• Acne inversa is a chronic, inflammatory skin condition affecting specific body areas.
• The innate immune system is implicated in the development of acne inversa.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the role of the innate immune system in acne inversa pathogenesis.
• To compare immune markers in acne inversa lesions with non-lesional skin and chronic venous leg ulcers.

Main Methods:

• Skin biopsies from acne inversa patients (lesional and non-lesional) and controls with chronic venous leg ulcers.
• Quantitative real-time PCR to measure mRNA levels of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) and cytokines.
• Analysis included human β-defensin (hBD)-1, hBD-2, hBD-3, LL-37, Ribonuclease 7 (RNase 7), TNF-α, MMP1, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, and IL-10.

Main Results:

• Acne inversa lesions showed significantly higher mRNA levels of hBD-2, LL-37, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, and MMP1 compared to non-lesional skin.
• Positive correlations were found between hBD-2 and LL-37, and between hBD-2 and RNase 7 mRNA expression.
• Acne inversa lesions had higher RNase 7 mRNA than leg ulcers, while leg ulcers showed higher expression of IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α, and MMP1.

Conclusions:

• The profile of AMPs, cytokines, and proteases in acne inversa lesions differs from normal skin and leg ulcers.
• Upregulation of AMPs in acne inversa suggests a significant role for the innate immune system in its pathogenesis.