Apoptotic cell death in formation of vesicular skin lesions in patients with acquired zinc deficiency

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Abstract
We investigated the role of apoptotic cell death in the production of skin lesions in patients with acquired zinc deficiency. Nuclear condensation of keratinocytes was observed at an early stage of skin lesions in patients with zinc deficiency, especially around vesicular lesions. Nuclei of keratinocytes in perivesicular lesions of the epidermis were positively stained by the nick-end labeling specific for fragmented DNA. Lewis Y antigen was also expressed on perivesicular lesions. On the other hand, there were no such positively stained cells in hyperkeratotic skin lesions of the patients. Therefore, it was suggested that apoptotic cell death might play a role in the formation of vesicular skin lesions in patients with zinc deficiency, but not in the formation of hyperkeratotic skin lesions.