2017/12/01 by Zongan Chen, Z. Chen, Lin Zhou +9 · 26 citations
Medicine · #Dermatologic Treatments and Research #Hair Growth and Disorders #Autoimmune Bullous Skin Diseases
paper · doi:10.1111/bjd.16173
Summary Background Memory T cells, a highly effective subset of T lymphocytes, have been reported to be involved in many inflammatory skin disorders. However, the potential role of memory T cells in keloid disease (KD) remains unclear. Objectives Due to their important role in regulating inflammation, we investigated the characteristics of CD45RO+ memory T cells in KD. Methods Primary cutaneous cells were isolated from keloid scars and normal skin by enzymic digestion. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were isolated from a related blood sample, and flow cytometry was applied to identify the phenotypic and functional abnormalities of memory T cells in KD. Results We observed that the majority of T lymphocytes in keloid scars had the memory phenotype, and a greater number of the CD8+ memory T cells in keloid scars produced lower levels of tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α. This abnormal cytokine production was even more distinct in Forkhead box (FOX)P3− CD8− memory T cells, with lower TNF-α production and enhanced interferon-γ production. Furthermore, FOXP3+ CD8− memory T cells in keloid scars were abnormal, including showing reduced CD25 and cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen 4 expression and interleukin-10 production. In addition, a significant decrease in the number of CD4+ CD25high FOXP3+ regulatory T cells was identified in patients with multiple keloid scars. We also found that there was significantly increased infiltration of CD103+ CD8+ memory T cells in keloid scars. Conclusions Our findings preliminarily elucidate the abnormalities of CD45RO+ memory T cells in keloid scars and provide early evidence that a disrupted T-cell response contributes to the progression of KD.