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Hepatitis C may enhance key amplifiers of psoriasis
Author(s) -
Chun K.,
Afshar M.,
Audish D.,
Kabigting F.,
Paik A.,
Gallo R.,
Hata T.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
journal of the european academy of dermatology and venereology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.655
H-Index - 107
eISSN - 1468-3083
pISSN - 0926-9959
DOI - 10.1111/jdv.13578
Subject(s) - psoriasis , medicine , cathelicidin , hepatitis c , dermatology , immunology , hepatitis , real time polymerase chain reaction , immune system , innate immune system , gene , biochemistry , chemistry
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, TLR 9 and IFN γ 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, TLR 9 and IFN γ mRNA expression by quantitative reverse‐transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (qRT‐ PCR ). Results The mRNA levels of cathelicidin, TLR 9 and IFN γ 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 IFN γ level in lesional skin of HCV ‐positive psoriatic patients was higher than the IFN γ level seen in non‐lesional skin of those same patients. Conclusion These findings suggest that HCV infection upregulates these inflammatory cytokines, possibly increasing susceptibility to developing psoriasis.