Mast Cells Are a Source of IL-17 and IL-22 in Psoriasis and Atopic Dermatitis

These cells might be an important component in the development of chronic inflammatory skin disorders.

Current concepts implicate the cytokines IL-17 and IL-22 in the pathogenesis of psoriasis. These two cytokines are produced by T cells that infiltrate psoriatic plaques. However, other cells also produce IL-17 and IL-22. This study was conducted to determine whether non–T cells contribute to the abundance of IL-17 and IL-22 in psoriatic skin lesions.

Skin biopsies from 30 patients with plaque-type psoriasis and 6 patients with atopic dermatitis were evaluated. Over 75% of the bone marrow–derived cells in the cutaneous lesions were T cells, and about 10% were mast cells. Interestingly, only about 1% of T cells were found to produce IL-22, compared with nearly 90% of mast cells. In other words, there were eight times as many IL-22-producing ma…

Reviewing Author

Craig A. Elmets, MD

Disclosures

Consultant / Advisory board Astellas Pharmaceuticals

EquityVaxin

Grant / Research support NIH; NIH/NCI; Veteran’s Administration; Ferndale Laboratories; Kyowa Hakko Kirin Pharma, Inc.

Editorial boards Cancer Prevention Research; Photodermatology, Photoimmunology, & Photomedicine; UpToDate; eMedicine; Journal of Dermatological Sciences; JAMA Dermatology

Leadership positions in professional societies American Academy of Dermatology (Vice Chair, Committee on Science and Research); Photomedicine Society (Board of Directors)