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Medical Aspects of Chemical Warfare (2008) - The Black Vault

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Vesicantsdirectly by the alkylating properties <strong>of</strong> HD or secondarilyby released cellular proteases or by chemical mediators<strong>of</strong> the accompanying inflammatory responseare bullous pemphigoid antigen, α-6 integrins, andlaminin-5 (nicein). 80,85 Bullous pemphigoid antigenand α-6 integrins are recognized integral proteins <strong>of</strong>the hemidesmosome with complex molecular attachmentsto heads <strong>of</strong> anchoring filaments. Laminin-5 ornicein is the resident protein <strong>of</strong> anchoring filaments.Loss <strong>of</strong> immunospecificity <strong>of</strong> these proteins wouldindicate a pathogenesis associated with the disabling<strong>of</strong> anchoring filaments within the lamina lucida, aprocess (vida supra) documented by ultrastructuralstudy <strong>of</strong> HD toxicity.Histopathological and ultrastructural presentations<strong>of</strong> sulfur-mustard–induced toxicity—apparentlyirrespective <strong>of</strong> the model—demonstrate that epidermal/epithelialbasal cells <strong>of</strong> the stratum germinativumlayer are targeted early during the pathology to theexclusion <strong>of</strong> other epidermal/epithelial cells. Injuredbasal cells appearing approximately 4 to 6 hours afterexposure present progressive signs <strong>of</strong> apoptosis andirreversible necrotic cell injury and death. Associatedwith basal cell injury is the apparent disabling <strong>of</strong> anchoringfilaments <strong>of</strong> hemidesmosomes that leads todetachments within the subadjacent lamina lucida <strong>of</strong>the epidermal/epithelial basement membrane zone.Superimposed upon this cellular response is the effecton selected basement membrane adherent proteinsthat lose their immunospecificity to specific antiseraabEpiEpiDeDecdMvEpiMvEpiDeMvDeMvFig. 8-11. ApopTag (Millipore Corp, Billerica, Mass) staining <strong>of</strong> paraffin-embedded skin sections demonstrating temporalprogression <strong>of</strong> basal cell apoptotic pr<strong>of</strong>iles. (a) At 3 hr postexposure, no apoptotic basal cells were observed; only inflammatorycell infiltration was noted in papillary dermis (arrows). (b) At 6 hr postexposure, the occurrence <strong>of</strong> apoptotic basalcells is evident. ApopTag-positive cells exhibit typical characteristics <strong>of</strong> apoptosis, nuclear condensation, and margination(arrows). (c) At 12 hr postexposure, basal cells exhibiting apoptosis significantly increased at areas <strong>of</strong> microvesication (arrows).(d) At 24 hr postexposure, basal cell apoptosis progressed to necrosis, making identification <strong>of</strong> individual apoptoticcells among cellular debris difficult. Original magnification × 66.Epi: epidermisDe: dermisMv: microvesicationReproduced with permission from: Kan RK, Pleva CM, Hamilton TA, Anderson DR, Petrali JP. Sulfur mustard-induced apoptosisin hairless guinea pig skin. Toxicol Pathol. 2003;31(2): 185–190. Photographs: Courtesy <strong>of</strong> Stephanie R Froberg, GraphicsDepartment, US Army <strong>Medical</strong> Research Institute <strong>of</strong> <strong>Chemical</strong> Defense, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md.273

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