Expression of CD70 and the TH17 Transcription Factor RORγT in Human Contact Dermatitis

Contact sensitizers are a major cause of inflammatory skin disease and as topical immunomodulators also have the potential for treat- ing cancer, viral diseases and certain autoimmune disorders. In the present study, the authors identify the upregulation of the TH17 lymphocyte subset transcription factor retinoid orphan receptor gamma T (RORγT) and the CD70 costimulatory pathway in human contact sensitivity (CS) using molecular techniques. Identification of this important new subset of T lymphocytes and a recognized costimulatory pathway offers potential for ameliorating CS and insight into antitumor and antiviral mechanism of haptens as topical immunomodulators.