title: Hepatitis C may enhance key amplifiers of psoriasis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Multiple studies have noted an association between hepatitis C and psoriasis, but it is not known whether psoriasis is a result of treatment modalities for hepatitis C or a result of hepatitis C alone.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To examine the relationship between psoriasis and hepatitis C by measuring the expression of cathelicidin, TLR9 and IFNγ in psoriatic lesional and non-lesional skin in HCV-positive and negative psoriatic patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two 2 mm punch biopsies of lesional and non-lesional skin in 10 patients who were HCV-negative psoriatics and seven HCV-positive psoriatics were used to measure cathelicidin, TLR9 and IFNγ mRNA expression by quantitative reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mRNA levels of cathelicidin, TLR9 and IFNγ were significantly higher in both non-lesional and lesional skin of HCV-positive patients with psoriasis as compared to HCV-negative psoriatic patients. Additionally, the IFNγ level in lesional skin of HCV-positive psoriatic patients was higher than the IFNγ level seen in non-lesional skin of those same patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that HCV infection upregulates these inflammatory cytokines, possibly increasing susceptibility to developing psoriasis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Chun
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Afshar
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Audish
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kabigting
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Paik
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gallo
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hata
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011565:Psoriasis / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism*; D012867:Skin / Q000378:metabolism; D051217:Toll-Like Receptor 9 / Q000235:genetics*; D054804:Cathelicidins
chemical_list: D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C495371:TLR9 protein, human; D051217:Toll-Like Receptor 9; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D054804:Cathelicidins