The pathophysiological role of dendritic cell subsets in psoriasis

BMB Rep. 2014 Feb;47(2):60-8. doi: 10.5483/bmbrep.2014.47.2.014.

Abstract

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disorder characterized by an erythematous scaly plaque of the skin and is occasionally accompanied by systemic complications. In the psoriatic lesions, an increased number of cytokine-producing dendritic cells and activated T cells are observed, which indicate that psoriasis is a prototype of an immune-mediated dermatosis. During the last decade, emerging studies demonstrate novel roles for the dendritic cell subsets in the process of disease initiation and maintenance of psoriasis. In addition, recently discovered anti-psoriatic therapies, which specifically target inflammatory cytokines produced by lesional dendritic cells, bring much better clinical improvement compared to conventional treatments. These new therapies implicate the crucial importance of dendritic cells in psoriasis pathogenesis. This review will summarize and discuss the dendritic cell subsets of the human skin and their pathophysiological involvement in psoriasis based on mouse- and patient-oriented studies.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antigens, Surface / metabolism
  • Dendritic Cells / immunology*
  • Dendritic Cells / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II / metabolism
  • Psoriasis / immunology
  • Psoriasis / physiopathology*
  • Thrombomodulin
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / metabolism

Substances

  • Antigens, Surface
  • THBD protein, human
  • Thrombomodulin
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha
  • Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II