The immunopathology of psoriasis.
Psoriasis affects approximately 2% of the population in Western countries. Although clinically rather monomorphic, the disease presents with a number of phenotypically distinct and heterogeneous subgroups showing differences in their pathogenetic pathways. Patients with type I (early onset) psoriasis demonstrate inflammatory lesions with epidermal hyperproliferation and the presence of activated T cells as well as intraepidermal polymorphs as principal features. In contrast to pustular types of psoriasis, these patients show genetic susceptibility and strong association with MHC class I and class-I haplotypes. There is evidence for a T-cell-mediated pathomechanism leading to a large spectrum of regulatory mediators including cytokines and growth factors as well as lipid mediators which are abnormally expressed. Pathogenetically psoriasis shows features in common with chronic relapsing T-cell-mediated diseases including Crohn's disease, rheumatoid arthritis and others.
Christophers
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Department of Dermatology, University of Kiel, Germany.
D006801:Humans; D011565:Psoriasis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology*