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Contribution of Perforin-Positive Cell Infiltration

Shin Inachi, MD; Hitoshi Mizutani, MD, PhD; Masayuki Shimizu, MD, PhD

Arch Dermatol. 1997;133(7):845-849.

Abstract
Objective
To clarify the mechanism of epidermal cell death in erythema multiforme.

Design
Retrospective study.

Setting
Academic referral center.

Participants
Nine patients with Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS), 9 patients with Hebra disease (EMH), and 5 healthy volunteers.

Interventions
Biopsy specimens were obtained from the border of the fresh lesions before treatment. Control specimens were obtained from normal skin.

Main Outcome Measures
Histopathological epidermal apoptosis detected with nuclear DNA fragmentation and counts of dermal immunoreactive perforin-positive infiltrates were compared between SJS and EMH.

Results
Eight patients (89%) with SJS showed clear apoptosis with keratinocyte DNA fragmentation. All SJS samples had intensive perforin-positive dermal infiltrates. Only 3 patients (33%) with EMH showed apoptotic change, and it was to a far less extent with far less dermal perforin-positive infiltrates. Control specimens showed no apoptotic cells in the epidermis or expression of perforin in the dermis.

Conclusions
Perforin mediates apoptosis in the pathogenesis of the epidermal cell changes in SJS but not in EMH. In addition to the differences in clinical severity and histopathological conditions, our findings indicate a pathogenetic difference between SJS and EMH.

Arch Dermatol. 1997;133:845-849

Author Affiliations
From the Department of Dermatology, Mie University Faculty of Medicine, Tsu, Mie, Japan.

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