Stenderup K, Rosada C, Worsaae A, Dagnaes-Hansen F, Steiniche T, Hasselager E, Iversen L F, Zahn S, Wöldike H, Holmberg H Lindgreen, Rømer J, Kragballe K, Clausen J T, Dam T N
Department of Dermatology, Aarhus University Hospital, Dk-8000 Aarhys, Denmark.
Br J Dermatol. 2009 Feb;160(2):284-96. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2133.2008.08890.x. Epub 2008 Oct 20.
Interleukin (IL)-20 is a recently discovered cytokine displaying increased levels in psoriatic lesions. Interestingly, IL-20 levels decrease with antipsoriatic treatment, correlating with clinical improvement. However, the role of IL-20 in the aetiology of psoriasis is unknown.
In this study, we investigate the effects both of blocking IL-20 signalling in psoriatic plaques and of adding IL-20 to nonlesional psoriasis skin.
We employed the human skin xenograft transplantation model in which psoriatic plaques and nonlesional keratome skin biopsies obtained from donors with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis were transplanted on to immuno-deficient mice. The transplanted mice were treated with anti-IL-20 antibodies or recombinant human IL-20.
We demonstrate that blocking IL-20 signalling with anti-IL-20 antibodies induces psoriasis resolution and inhibits psoriasis induction. We also demonstrate that continuous IL-20 infusion, together with injection of additional nonactivated leucocytes, promotes induction of psoriasis in nonlesional skin from patients with psoriasis.
The results suggest that IL-20 plays a critical role in the induction and maintenance of psoriasis, and IL-20 is suggested as a new possible specific target in psoriasis treatment.
白细胞介素（IL）-20是最近发现的一种细胞因子，在银屑病皮损中的水平升高。有趣的是，IL-20水平会随着抗银屑病治疗而降低，且与临床改善情况相关。然而，IL-20在银屑病病因学中的作用尚不清楚。
在本研究中，我们探究了阻断银屑病斑块中IL-20信号以及向非皮损性银屑病皮肤中添加IL-20的效果。
我们采用了人皮肤异种移植模型，将从患有中度至重度斑块状银屑病的供体处获取的银屑病斑块和非皮损性角膜刀皮肤活检组织移植到免疫缺陷小鼠身上。对移植后的小鼠用抗IL-20抗体或重组人IL-20进行治疗。
我们证明，用抗IL-20抗体阻断IL-20信号可诱导银屑病消退并抑制银屑病的诱发。我们还证明，持续输注IL-20并注射额外的未活化白细胞，可促进银屑病患者非皮损性皮肤中银屑病的诱发。
结果表明，IL-20在银屑病的诱发和维持中起关键作用，提示IL-20可能是银屑病治疗的一个新的潜在特异性靶点。
