Langerhans cells are selectively depleted in pellagra skin: the niacin deficiency as immuno-pathogenesis of one more trophic skin disorders

Abstract

Pellagra is caused by niacin deficiency and characterized by photosensitive dermatitis, diarrhea, dementia, however, the exact pathomechanism of these symptoms is not yet known. Since the pathological and clinical anomalies of pellagre are mostly common to those of zinc defiency, we suspected the alteration of Langerhans cells might be the clue of pellagra lesion, whose disappearance is also noted in acrodermatitis enteropathica recently. We analysed the presence of various cells in pellagra patients, and confirmed the selective disappearance of dendritic cells componens assumed by the immunohistochemical staining for langerin, HLA-DR, CD1a and S100 at lesiona skin. Mast cells, merkel cells and melanocytes did not largely change their numbers compared with normal skin. We relvealed that the degeneration of kerationcytes in the upper spinous layer is not by the pure apoptotic pathway represenred by the expresion of cleaved caspase 3 and TUNEL method. We further analyzed the temporal change of the dendritic cells at skin and intestines using the pellagra model treated with niacin antagonist, 6AN, or the niacin defient diet. From the observations, we supposed that losses of the cutaneous dendritic cells are the common and primary pathophysiological mechanism of the trophic skin diseased including pellagra and acrodermatitis enteropathica. JSID AbstractsJournal of Dermatological ScienceVol. 69Issue 2Preview Full-Text PDF