Expression of stratum corneum chymotryptic enzyme in reconstructed human epidermis and its suppression by retinoic acid.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the presence of stratum corneum chymotryptic enzyme (SCCE) in human epidermis reconstructed in vitro on dead de-epidermized dermis and the effect of retinoic acid (RA) on its expression. SCCE is a recently discovered serine proteinase which has been purified from human stratum corneum, and evidence has been presented that it may play a role in stratum corneum turnover, especially in desquamation. The SCCE-specific monoclonal antibody TE-9B showed positive immunofluorescence staining of high suprabasal keratinocytes, mainly in the stratum granulosum, in normal non-palmo-plantar human epidermis as well as in reconstructed epidermis in the absence of RA