Korean J Dermatol.  2008 May;46(5):627-632.

Expression of Neuropeptides and Their Receptors in Melasma

• Lee HJ
• Bak H
• Chang SE
• Choi JH
• Kim MN
• Kim BJ

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The pathogenesis of melasma has not yet been clearly demonstrated. But, clinical manifestations such as remarkable lesional symmetry and the distribution related to trigeminal nerves, suggest that the neural system could play a pathogenic role in melasma.
OBJECTIVE
This study was carried out to examine the expression of some neuropeptides and their receptors, which are well known to be major contributors of neuroinflammation in many dermatoses, in melasma lesions.
METHODS
Skin biopsies were obtained from the lesional and non-lesional facial skin of 6 Korean women with melasma. Immunofluorecence staining and confocal laser scanning microscopy were performed.
RESULTS
In our results, no difference could be detected with regard to the intensity of immunoreactivity for vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), calcitonin gene-related peptide receptor (CGRPR), substance P (SP), substance P receptor (SPR), somatostatin (SOM), pituitary adenylate cyclase activating peptide (PACAP) and pituitary adenylate cyclase activating peptide receptor (PACAPR) in the lesional skins compared with the non-lesional skins.
CONCLUSION
These results suggest that neuroinflammation induced by neuropeptides such as substance P, calcitonin gene-related peptide, vasoactive intestinal peptide, and somatostatin and their receptors included in this study, are not directly associated with melasma pathogenesis.

Keyword

Melasma; Neuroinflammation; Neuropeptides

MeSH Terms

Adenylyl Cyclases
Biopsy
Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide
Female
Humans
Melanosis
Microscopy, Confocal
Neuropeptides
Receptors, Neurokinin-1
Receptors, Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase-Activating Polypeptide
Skin
Skin Diseases
Somatostatin
Substance P
Trigeminal Nerve
Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide
Adenylate Cyclase
Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide
Neuropeptides
Receptors, Neurokinin-1
Receptors, Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase-Activating Polypeptide
Somatostatin
Substance P
Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide