HO-1 may be the potential therapeutic target for Atopic dermatitis as oxidative stress is dysregulated and associated with inflammation in Atopic dermatitis patients

Abstract

Abstract Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease and oxidative stress plays pathogenetic role in it. Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) is a key enzyme in response to oxidative and inflammatory insults. This study aims to evaluate the correlation between HO-1 expression, oxidative stress and inflammation in AD patients, identify the antioxidative and anti-inflammation effects of HO-1 on H2O2-induced HaCaT cells. Forty-two AD patients and twelve healthy controls were enrolled. Human Oxidative Stress PCR Array was performed to test the oxidative stress related gene expression in AD patients and controls. The HO-1 expression, malondialdehyde (MDA) and SOD and inflammatory factors IL-4 and high mobility group box1 (HMGB1) were measured by ELISA. The effect of HO-1 on the expressions of ROS, MDA and SOD, and inflammatory factors IL-4 and TNF-α were also detected in H2O2-induced HaCaT cells. We demonstrated that the levels of MDA were increased while SOD, antioxidants genes, ROS metabolisms and oxygen transporter genes were decreased in AD patients than in controls. In addition, high expression of MDA is positively correlated with IL-4 expression and disease severity of AD. HMGB1was also positively correlated with SOD activity. Furthermore, the level of HO-1 was significantly higher in AD patients than controls and HO-1 increased the SOD activity and decreased the levels of ROS, MDA, decreased the expressions of IL-4 and TNF-α in H2O2 -induced oxidative stress in HaCaT cells. In conclusion, oxidative damage is positively correlated with inflammatory factors and disease severity of AD and HO-1 may be potential target as its antioxidant and anti-inflammation effects.