Overexpression of transforming growth factor beta-2 and its receptor in rhinophyma: An alternative mechanism of pathobiology

Proliferative scarring is one of the clinical features of rhinophyma. The following study was undertaken to test the authors' hypothesis that fibrosis might also play an important role in the pathobiology of rhinophyma. The rhinophyma specimens were obtained from 5 white men (mean age, 67.8 years). Normal skin biopsies near benign facial lesions from 5 additional white men of similar age were obtained to serve as controls. Peroxidase-labeled immunohistochemical staining was performed in the rhinophyma and normal skin specimens for the presence of transforming growth factor (TGF) beta-2 and/or TGF-β II receptor. Histological slides were then measured for the intensity of staining for TGF-β2 and TGF-β II receptor using a computer-aided imaging system. The dermis of the rhinophyma tissue displayed stronger immunoreactivity of TGF-β2 (p = 0.014) and TGF-β II receptor (p = 0.006) compared with the normal skin. The results of this study demonstrate the overexpression of the fibrogenic protein TGF-β 2 and TGF-β II receptor in rhinophyma tissues. These findings support the authors' hypothesis that fibrosis may also play an important role in the pathobiology of rhinophyma.