Effects of topical calcipotriol on the expression of adhesion molecules in psoriasis

Seven patients with chronic plaque psoriasis were treated with topical calcipotriol for 8 to 24 weeks; the lesions improved in 5 patients. Immunohistochemistry was performed on frozen sections, to evaluate the expression of adhesion molecules and extracellular matrix components before and after therapy. Changes in expression and topography of beta1 and beta4 integrins were found on psoriatic lesions before therapy and a reduction in the expression of tenascin was detected as well. Moreover, several activation markers such as ICAM-1, HLA-DR, CD26 were focally positive, with a diffuse cytoplasmic reactivity, in basal and suprabasal layers in untreated lesions. In the 5 patients in whom lesions regressed after topical calcipotriol treatment, we observed a histological normalization of the epidermis and the inflammatory infiltrate was reduced. Moreover, not only was there a normalization in the expression and topography of adhesion molecules, but also the integrin pattern observed after therapy was superimposable to that of normal skin.