The serine protease inhibitor of Kazal-type 7 (SPINK7) is expressed in human skin

Proteases and their inhibitors play an important role in epidermal homeostasis. Their imbalance contributes to severe skin diseases. SPINK7 is a member of the SPINK protease inhibitor family and has been described so far as a cancer-related gene in the esophagus. Herein, we describe for the first time its expression in healthy human skin. Moreover, SPINK7 is up-regulated in inflammatory skin diseases like psoriasis and eczema as demonstrated by immunohistochemistry, though real-time PCR analyses revealed no significant up-regulation. In cultured keratinocytes, SPINK7 mRNA expression was up-regulated by IL-17A together with IFNγ. Our observation points to a role of SPINK7 in skin homeostasis and its involvement in inflammatory skin diseases.