[Expression of nuclear factor kappaB and the effect of topical tacrolimus ointment on lesional atopic dermatitis skin].
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the role of nuclear factor kappaB (Rel/NF-kappaB) in pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis(AD) and the effect of topical 0.1%(mass fraction) or 0.03%(mass fraction) tacrolimus ointment on expression of NF-kappaB in lesional AD skin. METHODS: Immunohistochemistry has been employed to study the expression of NF-kappaB in normal skin and lesional AD skin before and after using topical tacrolimus ointment. RESULTS: The expressions of NF-kappaBp50 and NF-kappaBp65 were scattering or negative in normal keratinocytes. NF-kappaBp50 was overexpressed on nuclear of basal and suprabasal keratinocytes in 9 cases of AD, NF-kappaBp65 was overexpressed in cytoplasm and perinuclear of basal and suprabasal keratinocytes. After using topical tacrolimus ointment for three weeks , nuclear NF-kappaBp50 expressed on basal and suprabasal keratinocytes were lost and NF-kappaBp50 was expressed sparsely on basal keratinocytes cytoplasm or nuclear. NF-kappaBp65 was expressed sparsely on basal and suprabasal keratinocytes cytoplasm. CONCLUSION: These data suggest that increased NF-kappaB activity may represent the basis of initiation or maintenance of the skin inflammatory response in atopic dermatitis. Topical tacrolimus may directly or indirectly inhibit NF-kappaB nuclear expression in keratinocytes and inhibit skin innate immuno-inflammatory response in atopic dermatitis that related to NF-kappaB.