Autoimmune Diseases
Volume 2013 (2013), Article ID 941431, 4 pages
http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2013/941431
Review Article
Mediators of Pruritus in Lichen Planus
Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology, Wroclaw Medical University, Ulica Chalubinskiego 1, 50-368 Wroclaw, Poland
Received 22 April 2013; Accepted 29 June 2013
Academic Editor: Jozélio Freire de Carvalho
Copyright © 2013 Kalina Welz-Kubiak and Adam Reich. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Abstract
Lichen planus (LP) is an inflammatory mucocutaneous disease, showing a wide variety of clinical subtypes. The classic presentation of LP involves the appearance of polygonal, flat-topped, violaceous papules and plaques with reticulated white lines, termed “Wickham's striae”. Cutaneous lesions tend to be extremely pruritic, and this symptom does not subside after common antipruritic treatment. Moreover, based on our previous pilot study, it could be stated, that itch is the most unpleasant and bothersome symptom of LP for majority of patients suffering from this disease. However, the underlying mechanisms of itch in lichen planus remain still unknown. In addition, there is no study on mediators of this sensation, but taking into account pathogenesis of LP there are some possible mediators implicated to transmit or modulate itch. In pathogenesis of LP important are such mechanisms as apoptosis, autoimmune reaction, and role of stress. With these pathways some, previously described in other diseases, itch mediators such as cytokines, proteases, and opioid system are connected. Whether these mechanisms are involved in pruritus accompanying LP requires further investigation. Limited knowledge of pruritus origin in lichen planus is responsible for the lack of the effective antipruritic treatments. Here, we describe possible mechanisms participating the pathogenesis of pruritus in lichen planus.
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