Macrophage marker 27E10 on human keratinocytes helps to differentiate discoid lupus erythematosus and Jessner's lymphocytic infiltration of the skin.

Chronic inflammatory discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE) and Jessner's lymphocytic infiltration of the skin (LIS) are both characterized by dermal infiltrates of activated T lymphocytes. However, an inflammatory involvement of the epidermis is only found in DLE. We therefore compared the phenotypic properties of the keratinocytes using immunohistochemical stainings of biopsies from typical DLE and LIS. Keratinocytes failed to express HLA-DR in LIS and surprisingly also in DLE. The adhesion molecule ICAM-1 was only expressed in DLE, with focal staining of the basal keratinocytes in close association with intraepidermal lymphocytes. The monoclonal antibody 27E10, a distinct marker for macrophage activation and differentiation, revealed a strong band-like labelling of the suprabasal and upper keratinocytes in DLE. In contrast, no epidermal expression of this biologically active heterodimer of the calcium-binding proteins MRP-8 and MRP-14 was found in LIS. The staining patterns provide a new method to differentiate DLE and LIS by immunohistochemistry and suggest a distinct type of keratinocyte activation and differentiation in DLE which would in turn mediate epidermal T cell infiltration.