The role of fibroblast-derived factors in melasma

초록

Melasma is a common acquired hyperpigmentary disorder. Though its pathogenesis is known to be related with sunexposure, hormone, and stress, it is poorly understood why it recurs easily and is frequently aggravated with treatments. We hypothesized some factors from the dermis may play a role in the pathogenesis of the melasma and its recurrence. Recently we reported fibroblasts secreted SCF with repetitive ultravioletlight exposure. In this study, we investigated effects of the primary cultured lesional fibroblasts on the melanogenesis of cultured epidermal human elanocytes. Biopsy specimens were obtained from the lesional and perilesional skin of three Korean women with melasma. The buttock skin was sampled for sun-protected skin(control). We examined the expression of the various melanogenic factors on the melasma lesion, perilesional and buttock skin with Fontana-Masson stains; PAS stains; Verhoeff-van-Gieson; immunohistochemical stain to SCF, NGF, and NGF receptor, ELISA assay and Quantibody array. Then, we cultured the fibroblasts from each samples and evaluated melanogenesis of human melanocytes cultured with the each fibroblast-conditioned medium. Next, we examined the effect of the each group of fibroblasts on a three-dimensional reconstructed human skin model of melasma. In result, fibroblasts of sun-exposed skin secrete more SCF and NGF than those from sun-protected skin. The lesional fibroblast-conditioned medium treated melanocytes showed increased melanogenesis. The fibroblasts isolated from the lesion and the perilesion increased the pigmentation of melanocytes in an artificial skin model. In conclusion, fibroblasts of melasma and perilesional skin have melanogenic function and would play an important role in the pathogenesis of melasma.