Skip to main content
. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2018 Jul 1.
Published in final edited form as: J Invest Dermatol. 2017 Mar 1;137(7):1474–1483. doi: 10.1016/j.jid.2017.02.972

Figure 4. Glucocorticoid deficiency leads to abnormal epidermal differentiation and heightened pro-inflammatory responses.

Figure 4

(a) 3D-human epidermal tissue cultures were grown in the presence of normal and low concentrations of hydrocortisone (1000nM, 100nM, 10nM and 0 nM). Histologically, this was associated with thickening of the epidermis with increased prominence of the granular layer and thickening of the stratum corneum, and expression of loricrin (LOR), and abnormal intercellular distribution of desmoglein-1 (DSG1) and E-cadherin (E-cad). (b–c) mRNA expression and protein secretion of pro-inflammatory and differentiation markers was increased with progressively lower hydrocortisone supplementation. (d) There was progressive decrease in cortisol levels, and decreased expression of HSD11B2 (p<0.01), while (e) HSD11B1 expression was increased (p<0.001). (Data shown with SEM, n=4, *p<0.05, **p<0.01, ***p<0.001, for IHC and IF representative figures are shown (n=3)).