Preclinical and clinical research provide strong evidence that chronic, systemic inflammation plays a key role in development and progression of atherosclerosis. Indeed, chronic inflammatory diseases, such as psoriasis, are associated with accelerated atherosclerosis and increased risk of cardiovascular events. Contemporary research has demonstrated plausible mechanistic links between immune cell dysfunction and cardiometabolic disease in psoriasis. In this review, we describe the role of potential common immunological mechanisms underlying both psoriasis and atherogenesis. We primarily discuss innate and adaptive immune cell subsets and their contributions to psoriatic disease and cardiovascular morbidity. Emerging efforts should focus on understanding the interplay among immune cells, adipose tissue, and various biomarkers of immune dysfunction to provide direction for future targeted therapy.
Keywords: atherosclerosis; cardiovascular disease; inflammation; inflammatory cytokines; psoriasis; vascular inflammation.