Studies in several models of inflammation have underscored the importance of P- and E-selectins in the migration of T cells to inflamed tissues. However, the role of the endothelial selectins in infection-induced cutaneous inflammation and host-protective immunity has not been investigated. In this study, we demonstrate that CD4(+) T cells recruited to the cutaneous compartment during infection...

1 Division of Oral Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada 2 Centre for Rheumatology, University College London (Royal Free Campus), UK Background Activated adhesive signaling is a hallmark of fibroblasts isolated from scars of scleroderma (systemic sclerosis; SSc) lesions. Rac1 plays a key role in adhesive signaling. The aim of the present study was to examine the role of Ra...

Epidermis, composed primarily of the keratinocytes, is subjected to ultraviolet radiation (UVR)-induced oxidative and genotoxic stresses. That keratinocytes are initial source pro-inflammatory mediators in skin after UVR exposure has been well established. Ultraviolet B (UVB) a strong initiator cutaneous inflammation, contributes etiology exacerbation several diseases, such as lupus erythematos...

Cutaneous immune responses must be tightly controlled to prevent unwanted inflammation in response to innocuous antigens, while maintaining the ability to combat skin-tropic pathogens. Foxp3(+) regulatory T (T reg) cells are potent immune regulators and are found at high frequency in both human and mouse skin. Although T reg cells migrate to the skin and can dampen immune responses during exper...

INTRODUCTION Microsomal prostaglandin E2 synthase-1 (mPGES-1) is an inducible enzyme that acts downstream of cyclooxygenase (COX) to specifically catalyze the conversion of prostaglandin (PG) H2 to PGE2. mPGES-1 plays a key role in inflammation, pain and arthritis; however, the role of mPGES-1 in fibrogenesis is largely unknown. Herein, we examine the role of mPGES-1 in a mouse model of skin sc...

Capsaicin induces a localized inflammatory process known as neurogenic inflammation upon its topical administration on the skin, due to the release of various neuropeptides from the cutaneous sensory nerve endings. In this study, we investigated real-time skin blood flow changes that occur in neurogenic inflammation induced by topical capsaicin by means of in vivo reflectance confocal microscop...

Immune complex (IC) deposition causes significant tissue injury associated with various autoimmune diseases such as vasculitis. In the cascade of inflammation, cell-to-cell and cell-to-matrix adhesion via adhesion molecules are essential. To assess the role of αE and β7 integrin in IC-mediated tissue injury, peritoneal and cutaneous reverse-passive Arthus reaction was examined in mice lacking α...

OBJECTIVE Cutaneous hyperalgesia is prominent in the ultraviolet-B (UVB) model of inflammatory pain. This study investigated possible interactions between cutaneous and deep tissues hyperalgesia. METHODS A total of 16 healthy volunteers participated in the study. Skin inflammation was induced unilaterally by UVB irradiation (three times of the individual minimal erythema dose) in square-shape...

There is a high demand for noninvasive imaging techniques for wound assessment. In vivo reflectance confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) represents an innovative optical technique for noninvasive evaluation of normal and diseased skin in vivo at near cellular resolution. This study was designed to test the feasibility of CLSM for noninvasive analysis of cutaneous wound healing in 15 patien...

Impaired wound healing can lead to scarring, and aesthetical and functional problems. The cytoprotective haem oxygenase (HO) enzymes degrade haem into iron, biliverdin and carbon monoxide. HO-1 deficient mice suffer from chronic inflammatory stress and delayed cutaneous wound healing, while corneal wound healing in HO-2 deficient mice is impaired with exorbitant inflammation and absence of HO-1...