Crusted scabies is associated with increased IL‐17 secretion by skin T cells. (November 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Liu, X.; Walton, S. F.; Murray, H. C.; King, M.; Kelly, A.; Holt, D. C.; Currie, B. J.; McCarthy, J. S.; Mounsey, K. E.
• Is Part Of: Parasite immunology. Volume 36:Number 11(2014:Nov.)
• Page Start: 592
• Page End: 602
• Publication Date: 2014-11
• Subjects: Veterinary parasitology -- Immunological aspects -- Periodicals; Host-parasite relationships -- Immunological aspects -- Periodicals; 571.96
• DOI: 10.1111/pim.12129
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0141-9838

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main" id="pim12129-abs-0001"> <title>Summary</title> <p>Scabies is an ectoparasitic infestation by the mite <italic>Sarcoptes scabiei</italic>. Although commonly self‐limiting, a fraction of patients develop severely debilitating crusted scabies. The immune mechanisms underlying the development of crusted scabies are unclear, and undertaking longitudinal infection studies in humans is difficult. We utilized a porcine model to compare cellular immune responses in peripheral blood and skin of pigs with different clinical manifestations of scabies (<italic>n</italic> = 12), and in uninfected controls (<italic>n</italic> = 6). Although clinical symptoms were not evident until at least 4 weeks post‐infestation, the numbers of peripheral IFNγ‐secreting CD4<sup>+</sup> T cells and γδ T cells increased in infected pigs from week 1 post‐infestation. γδ T cells remained increased in the blood at week 15 post‐infestation. At week 15, skin cell infiltrates from pigs with crusted scabies had significantly higher CD8<sup>+</sup> T cell, γδ T cell and IL‐17<sup>+</sup> cell numbers than those with ordinary scabies. Peripheral IL‐17 levels were not increased, suggesting that localized skin IL‐17‐secreting T cells may play a critical role in the pathogenesis of crusted scabies development. Given the potential of anti‐IL‐17 immunotherapy demonstrated for other inflammatory skin diseases, this study may provide a novel therapeutic avenue for patients with recurrent crusted scabies.</p> </abstract>