Psoriasis may not be an autoimmune disease after all!

[Fred]

We have been saying for a long time now that psoriasis is an autoimmune disease, well here's an article ahead of full print that suggests psoriasis is not an autoimmune disease after all.

The basics:

Quote:

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The concept that psoriasis is an autoimmune disease needs to be questioned. The autoimmune label has been based on molecular mimicry between streptococcal and keratin proteins and the existence of homologous peptides between these proteins. However it is only peripheral blood CD8, and not CD4, T lymphocytes that respond to the homologous peptides.

This ignores the fact that it is CD4 T cells which are necessary to initiate psoriasis. Recent studies on skin bacterial microbiota have found a variety of bacteria in both normal skin and psoriatic lesions. In biopsy specimens the most common phylum was Firmicutes and the most common genus streptococcus in both psoriasis and normal skin.

The innate immune system is activated in psoriasis and recent genetic findings have shown the majority of susceptibility loci are associated with innate immunity. There is a known clinical relationship between both Crohn's disease (CD) and periodontitis, and psoriasis, and psoriasis patients share mutations in some innate immunity genes with individuals with CD. It is now accepted that CD is due to a breakdown of immune tolerance (dysbiosis) to bacteria in the intestine.

These findings suggest that psoriasis is initiated by an abnormal response to bacteria in the skin due to genetic factors.

*This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Source: NO LINKS ALLOWED

I'm not sure when this will get fully published, so if you want to read the whole PDF (16 pages) let me know and I will give you the link.