Abstract
Despite the fact that polymorphous light eruption (PLE) is the most common photodermatosis, affecting 15% of healthy people in the UK, its pathogeny remains unclear. The condition is more frequent in females and begins often in young adults and in mid-adult life. The mechanism of PLE is under active research as shown by recent results, and it is hypothesized that in PLE patients, there is a partial failure of ultraviolet radiation-induced immunosuppression, causing an abnormal response to autologous antigens generated by ultraviolet radiation (UVR). The recent demonstration that the female hormone, 17β-estradiol prevents UVR-induced suppression of the contact hypersensitivity response caused by the release of immunosuppressive cytokines (IL-10) from keratinocytes might thus explain why the risk of PLE is higher in females than in males and why the risk decreases in women after the menopause.
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Aubin, F. Why is polymorphous light eruption so common in young women?. Arch Dermatol Res 296, 240–241 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00403-004-0508-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00403-004-0508-x