Department of Cell Biology, Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Tartu, 51010 Tartu, Estonia.
Department of Traumatology and Orthopedics, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Tartu, 51010 Tartu, Estonia.
Int J Mol Sci. 2023 Jan 5;24(2):1081. doi: 10.3390/ijms24021081.
Dupuytren's contracture (DC) is a chronic and progressive fibroproliferative disorder restricted to the palmar fascia of the hands. Previously, we discovered the presence of high levels of connective tissue growth factor in sweat glands in the vicinity of DC nodules and hypothesized that sweat glands have an important role in the formation of DC lesions. Here, we shed light on the role of sweat glands in the DC pathogenesis by proteomic analysis and immunofluorescence microscopy. We demonstrated that a fraction of sweat gland epithelium underwent epithelial-mesenchymal transition illustrated by negative regulation of E-cadherin. We hypothesized that the increase in connective tissue growth factor expression in DC sweat glands has both autocrine and paracrine effects in sustaining the DC formation and inducing pathological changes in DC-associated sweat glands.
掌腱膜挛缩症（Dupuytren's contracture，DC）是一种慢性进行性纤维增生性疾病，仅局限于手部的掌筋膜。先前，我们发现 DC 结节附近的汗腺中存在高水平的结缔组织生长因子，并假设汗腺在 DC 病变的形成中具有重要作用。在这里，我们通过蛋白质组学分析和免疫荧光显微镜研究揭示了汗腺在 DC 发病机制中的作用。我们证明了一部分汗腺上皮经历了上皮-间充质转化，表现为 E-钙黏蛋白的负调控。我们假设，DC 汗腺中结缔组织生长因子表达的增加具有自分泌和旁分泌作用，可维持 DC 的形成，并诱导与 DC 相关的汗腺发生病理变化。
