Inflammatory plasma signature of chronic hand eczema: Associations with aetiological and clinical subtypes

Publikation: Bidrag til tidsskriftTidsskriftartikelForskningfagfællebedømt

Background: Chronic hand eczema (CHE) is a highly prevalent, heterogeneous, skin disease that encompasses different aetiological and clinical subtypes. Severe CHE without atopic dermatitis has been associated with systemic inflammation; yet it remains unknown if specific CHE subtypes leave distinct, systemic, molecular signatures. Objectives: To characterize the inflammatory plasma signature of different aetiological and clinical CHE subtypes. Methods: We assessed expression levels of 266 inflammatory and cardiovascular disease risk plasma proteins as well as filaggrin gene mutation status in 51 well-characterized CHE patients without concomitant atopic dermatitis and 40 healthy controls. Plasma protein expression was compared between aetiological and clinical CHE subgroups and controls both overall and according to clinical CHE severity. Correlation analyses for biomarkers, clinical and self-reported variables were performed. Results: Very severe, chronic allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) on the hands was associated with a mixed Type 1/Type 2 systemic immune activation as compared with controls. Circulating levels of Type 1/Type 2 inflammatory biomarkers correlated positively with clinical disease severity among CHE patients with ACD. No biomarkers were found, that could discriminate between aetiological subtypes, for example, between ACD and irritant contact dermatitis. Hyperkeratotic CHE showed a distinct, non-atopic dermatitis-like, systemic footprint with upregulation of markers associated with Type 1 inflammation and tumour necrosis factor alpha, but not Type 2 inflammation. Increased levels of CCL19 and CXCL9/10 could discriminate hyperkeratotic CHE from both vesicular and chronic fissured CHE, whereas no difference was found between the latter two subtypes. Conclusion: Profiling of systemic biomarkers showed potential for identifying certain CHE subtypes. Peripheral blood levels of inflammatory biomarkers were associated and correlated with the clinical disease severity of chronic ACD on the hands, underlining that this is a systemic disease. We question whether hyperkeratotic CHE should be classified as eczema.

OriginalsprogEngelsk
TidsskriftJournal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology
ISSN0926-9959
DOI
StatusAccepteret/In press - 2024

Bibliografisk note

Funding Information:
Jacob Thyssen served previously as an advisor for AbbVie, Almirall, Arena Pharmaceuticals, Coloplast, OM Pharma, Aslan Pharmaceuticals, Union Therapeutics, Eli Lilly & Co, Pfizer, Regeneron and Sanofi‐Genzyme; a speaker for AbbVie, Almirall, Eli Lilly & Co, Pfizer, Regeneron, and Sanofi Genzyme; and received research grants from Pfizer, Regeneron and Sanofi Genzyme. He is currently employed at the University Hospital Bispebjerg but also LEO Pharma where he holds stock options. J. Sølberg has received grants from the Novo Nordisk Foundation and the Capital Region of Denmark. The remainder of authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Funding Information:
This study was funded by the LEO Foundation (Grant ID: 114). The study was conducted independently, and the LEO Foundation had no influence on study design, data analysis, preparation of the manuscript or decision to publish.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 The Authors. Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology.

ID: 389362382