Expression of CD44 and Its Isoforms in Oral Lichen Planus (original) (raw)

Journal of Cutaneous Pathology, 2008

Abstract

ABSTRACT CD44 is a transmembrane glycoprotein which has multiple isoforms resulting from alternative splicing of ten variant exons (v1-v10). Standard CD44 (CD44s) is the cell-surface receptor for hyaluronate and is involved in lymphocyte homing and activation. The function of the variant CD44 isoforms (CD44v) is unknown. Recently we observed an altered expression of CD44s and CD44v in different inflammatory skin diseases. In cutaneous lichen planus (LP) CD44s and CD44v are expressed in the epidermis whereas dermal lymphocytes express strongly CD44s and weakly CD44v3 and are negative for CD44v. In this study we examined the expression of CD44s and CD44v (CD44v3, CD44v4, CD44v5, CD44v6, CD44v7, CD44v7v8 and CD44v10) in active oral LP lesions by immunohistochemistry. CD44s was highly expressed by keratinocytes and dermal lymphocytes. Epithelial expression of CD44v4, CD44v7, CD44v7v8 and CD44v10 was decreased or absent. Biopsies did not contain CD44v3, CD44v7, CD44v7v8 and CD44v10-positive lymphocytes. Lymphocyte expression of CD44v4, CD44v5 and CD44v6 was observed. Unlike CD44v4 and CD44v5, CD44v6 was expressed by large quantities of lymphocytes. Our results show that the expression of CD44v in oral LP is different from cutaneous LP, which suggests that differential expression of CD44v may play a role in the generation of LP in different locations.

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