Immunomodulator Galectin-9 is Increased in Blood and Skin of Patients with Bullous Pemphigoid.

Abstract

Massive recruitment of eosinophils into the dermis is a hallmark of bullous pemphigoid pathogenesis. Identifying the chemoattractant(s) guiding eosinophils into the skin in bullous pemphigoid is a prerequisite to thera-peutic targeting of eosinophil recruitment. Galectin -9 is a potent chemoattractant for eosinophils, but its potential role in bullous pemphigoid is unknown. The aim of this study was to determine the expression levels of galectin-9 in serum and skin of patients with bullous pemphigoid. Galectin-9 levels were significantly elevated in serum of patients with bullous pemphigoid compared with age- and sex-matched controls, but did not correlate with disease activity assessed with the Bullous Pemphigoid Disease Area Index. Galectin-9 expression was also increased in lesional skin of patients with bullous pemphigoid, and was expressed predominantly in eosinophils, neutrophils and keratinocytes. In conclusion, these results support the notion that galectin-9 may play a role in the patho-genesis of bullous pemphigoid.

• Authors: Jasper Pruessmann, Wiebke Pruessmann, Maike M Holtsche, Beke Linnemann, Christoph M Hammers, Nina van Beek, Detlef Zillikens, Enno Schmidt, Christian D Sadik
• Journal: Acta dermato-venereologica (Acta Derm Venereol) Vol. 101 Issue 3 Pg. adv00419 (Mar 23 2021) ISSN: 1651-2057 [Electronic] Sweden
• PMID: 33606034 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Galectins
• Immunologic Factors
• LGALS9 protein, human

Topics

• Eosinophils
• Galectins (blood, metabolism)
• Humans
• Immunologic Factors
• Pemphigoid, Bullous (diagnosis)
• Skin