Integrative transcriptome analysis deciphers mechanisms of nickel contact dermatitis

BACKGROUND Nickel-induced allergic contact dermatitis (nACD) remains a major occupational skin disorder, significantly impacting the quality-of-life of suffering patients. Complex cellular compositional changes and associated immunological pathways are partly resolved in humans, thus, the impact of nACD on human skin needs to be further elucidated. METHODS To decipher involved immunological players and pathways, human skin biopsies were taken at 0, 2, 48 and 96 hours after nickel patch test in six nickel-allergic patients. Gene expression profiles were analyzed via microarray. RESULTS Leukocyte deconvolution of nACD affected skin identified major leukocyte compositional changes at 48 and 96 hours, including natural killer (NK) cells, macrophage polarization and T cell immunity. Gene set enrichment analysis mirrored cellular-linked functional pathways enriched over time. NK cell infiltration and cytotoxic pathways were uniquely found in nACD affected skin compared to sodium lauryl sulfate induced irritant skin reactions. CONCLUSION These results highlight key immunological leukocyte subsets as well as associated pathways in nACD, providing insights into pathophysiology with the potential to unravel novel therapeutic targets.