ABSTRACT
Considering that African Americans are more likely to suffer from autoimmune diseases based on epidemiological studies, we hypothesized that melanocytes in the microenvironment contribute to the local regulation of autoimmune responses. Here, in an in-vitro setting we examined the possible role for the pigmentation of normal murine epidermal melanocytes in immune and inflammatory responses via DC activation. Our results revealed that dark pigment or activating dark pigment formation stimulate the production of DC-stimulating pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6 and TNF-α) and IL-3 in pigmented melanocytes, and consequently lead to pDC maturation. As for an underlying mechanism, we found that low pigment associated FMOD interferes with cytokine secretion and subsequent pDC maturation. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to assess the effect of baseline pigmentation on epidermal melanocyte cytokine profile, and its impact on DCs.
Competing Interest Statement
The authors have declared no competing interest.