Basement Membrane Changes in Lichen Planopilaris
June 2009
in “
Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology
”
TLDR Basement membrane changes in lichen planopilaris cause scarring and permanent hair loss.
The study investigated basement membrane zone (BMZ) alterations in lichen planopilaris (LPP), an inflammatory disease causing cicatricial alopecia. Using immunohistochemistry on skin biopsies from 6 LPP patients and 6 controls, researchers found significant differences in the localization and staining of hemidesmosome, laminin, and collagen components in inflamed follicular epithelium compared to uninvolved areas. Hemidesmosome-associated complexes were weak and discontinuous, and the expression of laminin-5, type IV collagen, and type VII collagen was disrupted, with projections into the dermis. These BMZ changes may contribute to abnormal healing and irreversible hair loss in LPP.