HaCa T keratinocytes and primary epidermal keratinocytes have different transcriptional profiles of cornified envelope-associated genes to T helper cell cytokines

Abstract

HaCaTcells are the immortalized human keratinocytes and have been extensively used to study the epidermal homeostasis and its pathophysiology. Thelper cells play a role in various chronic dermatological conditions and they can affec Tskin barrier homeostasis. To evaluate whether HaCaTcells can be used as a model cell system to study abnormal skin barrier developmenTin various dermatologic diseases, we analyzed the gene expression profile of epidermal differentiation markers of HaCaTcells in response to major Thelper (Th) cell cytokines, such as IFNγ, IL-4, IL-17A and IL-22. The gene transcriptional profile of cornified envelope-associated proteins, such as filaggrin, loricrin, involucrin and keratin 10 (KRT10), in HaCaTcells was generally different from thaTin normal human keratinocytes (NHKs). This suggests thaTHaCaTcells have a limitation as a model system to study the pathophysiological mechanism associated with the Thcell cytokine-dependenTchanges in cornified envelope-associated proteins which are essential for normal skin barrier development. In contrast, the gene transcription profile change of human β2-defensin (HBD2) in response to IFNγ, IL-4 or IL-17A in HaCaTcells was consistenTwith the expression pattern of NHKs. IFNγ also up-regulated transglutaminase 2 (TGM2) gene transcription in both HaCaTcells and NHKs. As an alternative cell culture system for NHKs, HaCaTcells can be used to study molecular mechanisms associated with abnormal HBD2 and TGM2 expression in response to IFNγ, IL-4 or IL-17A. © 2012 The Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology.