Chemokine-Like Factor 1-Derived C-Terminal Peptides Induce the Proliferation of Dermal Microvascular Endothelial Cells in Psoriasis
Fig 1
Both CKLF1 and CCR4 proteins were strongly expressed in psoriatic lesions.
Paraffin sections of skin tissues were stained by H&E or immunohistochemistry for CKLF1 or CCR4. (a)As compared to normal controls, psoriatic skins exhibited stronger staining of CKLF1 in both epidermis and microvessels in dermis. Meanwhile, the dermal microvessels showed stronger CCR4 expression in psoriatic lesion than that in normal skins although no difference was found in epidermis between them. Scale bar = 100 μm. (b). Frozen sections were also analyzed for CCR4 and CD31 expression. By immunofluorescence, top panel showed the expression of CCR4 (green), CD31 (red), and nuclei (blue). Dashed white lines indicated the borders between epidermis and dermis. Bottom panel represented the magnified microvessels in dermis that expressed intense CCR4 and CD31. Scale bar = 50 μm. (c) By qRT-PCR, the mRNA levels of CKLF1 and CCR4 was found elevated in psoriatic lesion compared to the normal skins. Number of tissue samples were 15 (psoriatic) and 5 (normal), respectively. CCR4, C-C chemokine receptor 4; CKLF1, chemokine-like factor 1; H&E, hematoxylin and eosin; qRT-PCR, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. * p < 0.05.