In Situ Detection of Retinoid-X Receptor Expression in Normal and Psoriatic Human Skin

The study developed a new immunohistochemical technique to detect retinoid-X receptor (RXR) expression in human skin and found that RXR-alpha was strongly expressed in both normal and psoriatic skin. RXR-alpha was present in various cell types, including keratinocytes, melanocytes, fibroblasts, and immune cells, with strong nuclear and less cytoplasmic staining. The study concluded that altered RXR-alpha levels or distribution were not involved in psoriasis vulgaris genesis but suggested a role in the transition from proliferation to differentiation in epidermal keratinocytes. Additionally, RXR-alpha expression in hair follicles indicated a potential contribution to hair growth.