YKL-40 tissue expression in lichen planus

[摘要] Background  Lichen planus (LP) is an idiopathic chronic inflammatory disease of the skin, mucous membranes, and nails. The exact pathogenesis of LP is still unclear. Chitinase-3-like protein 1 (YKL-40) is one of the 18 glycosyl hydrolases, but lacks enzymatic activity. Recent studies have shown that YKL-40 is present at sites of inflammation and tissue remodeling, triggers immune responses, and attracts eosinophils and T cells. Objective  To clarify a suggested role of YKL-40 in LP inflammation. Patients and methods  This case–control study included 30 cutaneous LP patients and 30 healthy volunteers serving as controls. About 4-mm punch-skin biopsies were taken from skin lesions in LP patients and healthy skin from controls. Skin biopsies were examined for YKL-40 using PCR technique. Results  The expression of YKL-40 in LP lesions (5.12±1.02 pg/ml) was significantly higher than their expression in control-tissue biopsies (1.02±0.05 pg/ml) (P<0.001). No significant relation was detected between the expression of YKL-40, type of LP, and the disease duration. Conclusion  We can conclude that upregulation of YKL-40 could point to a possible role in the pathogenesis of LP.

[学科分类] 皮肤病学

[关键词] chitinase-3-like protein 1;lichen planus;YKL-40