J Korean Med Sci.  2000 Dec;15(6):647-654. 10.3346/jkms.2000.15.6.647.

Expression of progesterone receptor in human keratinocytes

• Im S
• Lee ES
• Kim W
• Song J
• Kim J
• Lee M
• Kang WH

• KMID: 2157545
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3346/jkms.2000.15.6.647

Abstract

Despite the various responses of human skin to female sex hormones, cellular and subcellular targets and the mechanisms of action of estrogen and progesterone in human skin are not well understood. The detection of estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) in the skin is of great importance to understand the effect of estrogen and progesterone. In primary cultures of human keratinocytes, expression of ER and PR was monitored by immunocytochemistry and reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Paraffin embedded skin tissues were stained with monoclonal antibodies to human ER and PR by immunohistochemistry. Cultured human keratinocytes expressed cytoplasmic PR protein and PR mRNA transcripts. By contrast, ER was detected only at the mRNA level. Suprabasal keratinocytes from samples of pruritic urticarial papules, plaques of pregnancy (PUPPP) and psoriasis were stained positively only for PR, while those from samples of erythema nodosum were negative for both ER and PR. Lesional epidermis of PUPPP showed positive PR immunoreactivity, while nonlesional epidermis did not. No other cells in the normal human skin were stained with ER and PR. The present study suggests that by expressing PR human keratinocytes act as targets for progesterone action.

Keyword

Receptors, Progesterone; Receprtors, Estrogen; Keratinocytes

MeSH Terms

Adolescence
Adult
Aged
Cells, Cultured
Female
Gene Expression
Human
Immunoenzyme Techniques
Infant
Keratinocytes/metabolism*
Keratinocytes/cytology
Male
Middle Age
Receptors, Estrogen/genetics
Receptors, Estrogen/biosynthesis
Receptors, Progesterone/genetics*
Receptors, Progesterone/biosynthesis
Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
Sequence Analysis, DNA/methods
Skin/pathology
Skin/metabolism
Skin Diseases/metabolism