Keratin filaments are 8 nm in diameter, and together with the 6 nm actin microfilaments and the 23 nm microtubules, they constitute the cytoskeletal architecture of most vertebrate epithelial The filaments are assembled from two classes of subunits, type I and type II.12.13-16 The type I keratins are acidic and generally small in size (40-57 kD). The type I1 keratins are more basic and larger i...

Keratins are crucial for the anchorage of desmosomes. Severe alterations of keratin organization and detachment of filaments from the desmosomal plaque occur in the autoimmune dermatoses pemphigus vulgaris and pemphigus foliaceus (PF), which are mainly caused by autoantibodies against desmoglein (Dsg) 1 and 3. Keratin alterations are a structural hallmark in pemphigus pathogenesis and correlate...

BACKGROUND Low level light therapy (LLLT) is an attractive alternative to enhance wound healing. So far most studies are performed with red or infrared irradiation. However, we recently showed that blue light (470 nm) can significantly influence biological systems, improving perfusion by release of nitric oxide from nitrosyl complexes with haemoglobin in a skin flap model in rats. Here, we comp...

Epidermolysis bullosa simplex (EBS) is caused by defective assembly of keratin intermediate filaments in basal keratinocytes and recent studies indicated causal mutations in the keratin KRT5 and KRT14 genes. In this study, we describe a novel KRT5 mutation in a German sporadic case of EBS Dowling-Meara. Transition of G to T (nucleotide position 2334) leads to a premature stop codon (E477stop, r...

A monoclonal antibody directed against a 65-kDa brain protein demonstrates an epitope found in keratin from human epidermis. By indirect immunofluorescence, the antibody decorates intracytoplasmic filaments in a subclass of astrocytes and Purkinje cells of adult hamster brain. Double-label immunofluorescence study using antibody to glial fibrillary acidic protein and this antibody reveals the 6...

Simple epithelial cells synthesize a different set of keratins than epidermal cells. In experiments reported in this manuscript, we show that the base level of keratin expression in simple epithelial cells is variable for different cell types, and that, in some simple epithelia, this level can be upregulated by increasing the exposure of cells to retinoids, but not glucocorticoids or estradiol....

We studied the effect of tacalcitol (1 alpha, 24 dihydroxy vitamin D3) ointment on clinical and immunohistochemical efficacy in psoriatic patients during 2 months of treatment. The psoriasis area and severity index decreased significantly after only 1 month and the total body surface index decreased 55% after 2 months. To characterize the epidermal compartment keratin 14, keratin 16, epidermal ...