One tiny allele causing Psoriasis?

42058485 Sophie Black

Psoriasis is a skin condition that affects many people all over the world causing red, inflamed skin and often, reducing the sufferer’s quality of life. Scientists at the University of Michigan have made a recent discovery that suggests that a common genetic variation could be one of the complex causes of psoriasis.

 Psoriasis is often a result from a throat infection, where the body activates the immune system to fight off the infection. However, once the infection is cleared, the immune system continues on, and begins attacking the body’s skin cells. 

The researchers found that a particular allele of the gene HLA-C, located on chromosome 6, could lead to the development of psoriasis. The HLA-C gene is one of several that regulate how infections are fought off by the body’s immune system. The allele PSORS1 was isolated as the cause gene by haplotype mapping and comparing the genes of people suffering from the disorder with those not suffering.

 Currently, treatment for severe psoriasis includes very potent drugs that turn off the body’s immune system, leaving the body very susceptible to other infections. This discovery means that instead of shutting down the entire immune system, only parts of it would have to be turned off to treat psoriasis, which would decrease the body’s risk of infection.

 References:

s        Original article:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/03/060317114811.htm  (accessed 22 April 2009)

s        Additional information:

http://dermatology.about.com/od/psoriasisbasics/a/psorcause.htm (accessed 22 April 2009)