The role of lymphocytes, granulocytes, mast cells and their related cytokines in lesional skin of linear IgA bullous dermatosis.

Linear IgA bullous dermatosis (LAD) is an acquired, heterogeneous, subepidermal blistering disease characterized by linear IgA deposits at the dermoepidermal basement membrane zone (BMZ), often with circulating IgA antibodies to the BMZ. The pathogenetic mechanism, possibly related to the immunophenotype of infiltrating cells, as well as the potential role of cytokines in determining bullous lesions, have not yet been elucidated. An immunohistochemical study was performed with a large panel of monoclonal antibodies [to CD3, CD4, CD8, CD25, CD1a, CD30, CD54, CD50, endothelial leucocyte adhesion molecule-1, vascular cell adhesion molecule-1, myeloperoxidase (MPO), eosinophil cationic protein EG1 and EG2, tryptase, HLA-DR, human interleukin (IL)-3, human IL-5, human IL-8, human IL-4, tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, interferon (IFN)-gamma and granulocyte/macrophage colony-stimulating factor] using the alkaline phosphatase-antialkaline phosphatase procedure on lesional and perilesional skin of nine patients (one male, eight female; age range 8 months-80 years) with clinical, histological and immunofluorescent proven LAD. The predominant infiltrating cells, distributed mostly inside and below the bullae, were neutrophils and eosinophils which showed intense activation (MPO +, EG1 +, EG2 +). The lymphocytic infiltrate, consisting principally of CD4 +, HLA-DR + and CD30 + T cells, had a predominantly perivascular distribution. Proinflammatory cytokines, such as TNF-alpha and IFN-gamma, showed a moderate focal expression on the dermal perivascular sites; IL-8 was found to have a particularly intense staining on all the epidermal cell layers and at perivascular and vascular sites. Other cytokines, such as IL-4 and IL-5, showed a prevalent intracytoplasmic staining on some cells of the dermal infiltrate (probably mastocytes and lymphocytes), and at the dermal-epidermal separation sites there was also an intense scattered distribution of IL-5. The specific tissue lesions of LAD may be the consequence of the IgA deposits at the BMZ and also of the release of these cytokines together with tissue damage enzymes derived from neutrophils or eosinophils.