Elastolysis in lichen ruber planus.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.2340/0001555571364366Abstract
The dermal elastic fiber network was studied in specimens from five patients with lichen ruber planus, using a standard elastin staining procedure (orcein), results being compared with those for the elastin-associated microfibrillar network stained using anti-fibrillin antibodies in an immunofluorescence and an avidin-biotin-peroxidase complex technique. Additional specimens of healed apparently normal skin were taken from two of the patients. Orcein-stained fibers were scarce or absent in the inflammatory zone in all the lesions. In contrast, an extensive fibrillin immunoreactive network was present in the papillary zone in all the specimens, in a pattern similar to that of normal skin. In specimens from healed lesions of lichen ruber planus, dermal orcein-stained fibers were present in the papillary dermis. The findings indicate that the amorphous component of elastic fibers is destroyed during the acute phase of lichen ruber planus. Hypothetically, the elastolysis is caused by elastases released from macrophages known to be present in the lichenoid infiltrate. In contrast, the fibrillin fiber network seems to be less or not at all affected by proteolytic events during the inflammatory phase of lichen ruber planus.Downloads
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
All digitalized ActaDV contents is available freely online. The Society for Publication of Acta Dermato-Venereologica owns the copyright for all material published until volume 88 (2008) and as from volume 89 (2009) the journal has been published fully Open Access, meaning the authors retain copyright to their work.
Unless otherwise specified, all Open Access articles are published under CC-BY-NC licences, allowing third parties to copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format and to remix, transform, and build upon the material for non-commercial purposes, provided proper attribution to the original work.