Summary
This study attempts to evaluate the possible pathogenic role of phospholipase A2 and of proteolytic c.q. esterolytic enzyme(s) recently shown to be associated with the skin irritating nettling hairs ofEuproctis chrysorrhoea caterpillars.
Intracutaneous injection of crude extract and of column fractions from nettling hairs in healthy volunteers yielded tender and pruritic biphasic skin reactions. Comparison between skin test results led to the conclusion that most of the skin reactive material is associated with the esterase- and phospholipase-containing fractions. Plasma samples from healthy subjects were found to inhibit the esterase activity expressed by crude nettling hair extract (NHE).
It was further shown that NHE is capable of producing the following effects in vitro: 1.Consumption of hemolytic complement from human plasma. 2. Generation of plasmin from human plasminogen. 3. Initiation of lysolecithin-mediated histamine release from human leucocytes. 4. Induction of spherocytosis and lysis of human red blood cells in the presence of exogenous phospholipids. Furthermore, NHE was found to contain at least two antigenic components giving rise to the production of IgG-class antibodies in rabbits.
The aforementioned enzyme activities appeared highly temperature resistant (150°–200°C) when kept in their original nettling hair-bound state, but proved thermolabile (60°–120°C) once extracted.
The above findings and their clinical implications are discussed. Attention is directed to non-immunologic mechanisms which are suggested to play a major role in triggering the nettling hairinduced cutaneous inflammatory responses.
Zusammenfassung
Diese Arbeit befaßt sich mit der möglich pathogenetischen Rolle der kürzlich nachgewiesenen Enzyme, wie Phospholipase A2 und proteolytische bzw. esterolytische Enzyme, in den hautreizenden Nesselhaaren der Goldafterraupe.
Intracutanproben mit einem Rohextrakt der Nesselhaare und mit Sephadex G-100-Fraktionen des Rohextraktes führten bei gesunden Versuchspersonen zu empfindlichen und juckenden Hautreaktionen vom biphasischen Typus. Aus den Befunden zeigt sich, daß sich der größere Teil der hautreizenden Stoffe in den Esterase- und Phospholipase-aktiven Fraktionen befindet. Die im rohen Nesselhaarextrakt (NHE) nachgewiesene Enzymaktivität wurde durch Zusatz von Humanplasma gehemmt. Bei weiteren Untersuchungen in vitro ließen sich die folgenden durch NHE bewirkten Effekte nachweisen: 1. Verbrauch von hämolytischer Komplementaktivität in Humanplasma. 2. Freisetzung von Plasmin durch Aktivierung von Humanplasminogen. 3. Induzierung von Lysolecithin-vermittelter Histaminfreisetzung aus Blutleukocyten. 4. Bewirkung von Spherocytosis und Lysis von Erythrocyten unter Anwendung von exogener Phospholipide. Weiter zeigten serologische Ergebnisse, daß in NHE mindestens zwei Antigenkomponente vorliegen, welche Antikörperbildung der IgG-Klasse in Kaninchen bewirken.
Die oben erwähnten Enzymaktivitäten zeigten sich bemerkenswert thermostabil (150°–200°C) solange sie in nesselhaargebundenem Zustand verblieben, aber sie ergaben sich als relativ thermolabil (60°–120°C) sobald sie extrahiert wurden.
Die Untersuchungsergebnisse und ihre klinischen Implikationen werden diskutiert. Spezielle Aufmerksamkeit wird nicht-immunologischen Mechanismen und ihrer vorausgesetzten Schlüsselstellung bezüglich der durch Nesselhaare ausgelösten Hautentzündung gewidmet.
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de Jong, C.J.M., Bleumink, E. Investigative studies of the dermatitis caused by the larva of the brown-tail moth,Euproctis chrysorrhoea L. (lepidoptera, lymantriidae). Arch. Derm. Res. 259, 263–281 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00561453
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00561453