Amphiregulin Causes Functional Downregulation of Adherens Junctions in Psoriasis

• Published in: Journal of investigative dermatology Vol. 124; no. 6; pp. 1134 - 1140
• Main Authors: Chung, Eunkyung, Cook, Paul W., Parkos, Charles A., Park, Young-Kyu, Pittelkow, Mark R., Coffey, Robert J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Danvers, MA Elsevier Inc 01.06.2005; Nature Publishing; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Adherens Junctions - drug effects; Amphiregulin; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Cadherins - metabolism; Cell Line; Cells, Cultured; Dermatology; Dogs; Down-Regulation; E-cadherin; EGF Family of Proteins; Glycoproteins - metabolism; Glycoproteins - pharmacology; Humans; Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins - metabolism; Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins - pharmacology; Male; Medical sciences; Mice; Mice, Transgenic; Neutrophil Infiltration - drug effects; neutrophil transmigration; Peptide Fragments - metabolism; Proteins - metabolism; psoriasis; Psoriasis - metabolism; Psoriasis - physiopathology; Psoriasis. Parapsoriasis. Lichen; Recombinant Proteins - pharmacology; Tight Junctions - metabolism; amphiregulin; neutrophil transmigration; E-cadherin; psoriasis; Skin disease; Junction; amDhirequlin/E-cadherin/neutrophil transmigration/psoriasis; Psoriasis; Dermatology
• ISSN: 0022-202X; 1523-1747
• DOI: 10.1111/j.0022-202X.2005.23762.x

Overexpression of amphiregulin (AR) has been linked to psoriasis in mouse and man. Since psoriasis is marked by hyperproliferation of keratinocytes and loss of epidermal barrier function with infiltration of inflammatory cells into the epidermis and dermis, we hypothesized that AR might contribute to the pathogenesis of psoriasis by affecting the integrity of cell–cell junctions. We find that there is a marked reduction of functional E-cadherin in psoriatic lesions from both INV-AR mice and individuals with psoriasis. Total E-cadherin levels are dramatically reduced in psoriatic lesions from INV-AR mice. Compared with normal skin, psoriatic lesions from individuals with psoriasis exhibit downregulation of the cytoskeletal-associated triton-insoluble pool of E-cadherin and the appearance of an 80 kDa ectodomain fragment in the cytoplasmic triton-soluble pool. There is reduced immunohistochemical staining for E-cadherin in the basal epidermis of human psoriatic lesions. Moreover, there is enhanced transmigration of human neutrophils through polarized epithelial cell monolayers of MDCK cells after administration of AR, but not transforming growth factor-α, further supporting a specific role for AR in the pathogenesis of psoriasis.