Skin barrier homeostasis in atopic dermatitis: feedback regulation of kallikrein activity.

ABSTRACT: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a widely spread cutaneous chronic disease characterised by sensitive reactions (eg. eczema) to normally innocuous elements. Although relatively little is understood about its underlying mechanisms due to its complexity, skin barrier dysfunction has been recognised as a key factor in the development of AD. Skin barrier homeostasis requires tight control of the activity of proteases, called kallikreins (KLKs), whose activity is regulated by a complex network of protein interactions that remains poorly understood despite its pathological importance. Characteristic symptoms of AD include the outbreak of inflammation triggered by external (eg. mechanical and chemical) stimulus and the persistence and aggravation of inflammation even if the initial stimulus disappears.

SUBMITTER: Tanaka RJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3102059 | biostudies-literature | 2011

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature