Cytokines and anticytokines in psoriasis.
BACKGROUND
Psoriasis is a chronic autoimmune hyperproliferative skin disease of varying severity affecting approximately 2-3% of the general population in the USA and Europe. Although the pathogenesis of psoriasis has not been fully elucidated, an immunologic-genetic relationship is likely. Cutaneous and systemic overexpression of various proinflammatory cytokines (TNF, interleukins, interferon-gamma) has been demonstrated in psoriatic patients.


METHODS
We reviewed the current database literature and summarized the involvement of cytokines and their receptors in the pathogenesis and treatment of psoriasis.


RESULTS
Although many cytokine/anti-cytokine therapies have been conducted, TNF antagonists in the treatment of both psoriasis arthropatica and vulgaris appear to be the most widely used clinically. Interestingly, the efficacy and tolerability of some cytokines (rhIL-11 or ABX-IL-8,) were found to be much lower than expected.


CONCLUSIONS
Preliminary results obtained with cytokine and anti-cytokine therapies appear promising and as such continued research is clearly indicated.
Pietrzak
Aldona T
AT
Chair and Department of Dermatology, Medical University of Lublin, Poland. aldonkapietrzak@o2.pl
Zalewska
Anna
A
Chodorowska
Grazyna
G
Krasowska
Dorota
D
Michalak-Stoma
Anna
A
Nockowski
Piotr
P
Osemlak
Paweł
P
Paszkowski
Tomasz
T
Roliński
Jacek M
JM
D000818:Animals; D016207:Cytokines / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D007378:Interleukins / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D011565:Psoriasis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism
D016207:Cytokines; D007378:Interleukins; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D007371:Interferon-gamma