Immunology of male genital lichen sclerosus
Research type
Research Study
Full title
An Immunohistochemical study of male genital Lichen Sclerosus (balanitis xerotica obliterans or BXO) of the penis
IRAS ID
279732
Contact name
Paul Griffiths
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Swansea University
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
In women research has established an association between female genital Lichen sclerosus(LS) and autoimmune diseases (type 4 immune hypersensitivity). In men, however, Type 4 autoimmune disease is much less common than in women raising the possibility that a mechanism other than Type 4 may play a role in the male disease. Type1 diseases include asthma, eczema, urticaria, hayfever, allergic rhinitis and polyps, anaphylaxis, eosinophilic oesophagitis and allergies to foods, medications and other chemicals. Type 4 diseases include disorders such as autoimmune thyroid disease, pernicious anaemia, lichen planus and rheumatoid arthritis.
In genital LS in men, chronic itching is accompanied by an infiltration of skin by chronic inflammatory cells, including eosinophils and mast cells, thickening of the basement membrane which supports the epidermis, and ultimately, ulceration, fissuring and scarring.
We therefore wish to study lymphocyte subsets in a cohort of male patients with male genital LS to compare with a cohort of males with non-specific chronic inflammation, normal foreskin and a cohort of adult women with genital lichen sclerosus, to investigate whether the inflammatory cells are those associated with Type 1 or Type 4 disease. Specimens of normal foreskin and non-specific chronic inflammation will also be included.REC name
South Central - Hampshire A Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
20/SC/0097
Date of REC Opinion
12 May 2020
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion