Introduction
This continuing medical education supplement to Seminars in Cutaneous Medicine and Surgery is based on presentations from the SDEF 10th Annual Psoriasis Forum. It provides a comprehensive overview of the information covered at that conference.
Introduction
Dermatology has evolved into one of the most dynamic specialties in medicine. Advances in cellular and molecular biology have translated into clinical progress in the management of multiple conditions that dermatologists treat
New Insights in the Immunologic Basis of Psoriasis
Psoriasis vulgaris is a multifactorial heritable disease characterized by severe inflammation
resulting in poorly differentiated, hyperproliferative keratinocytes. Recent advances in
genetic analyses have implicated components regulating the interleukin (IL)-23 and nuclear
factor-B pathways as risk factors for psoriasis. These inflammatory pathways exhibit
increased activity in skin lesions, and promote secretion of various cytokines, such as IL-17
and IL-22. Unrestrained, the activated inflammatory cytokine network in psoriasis may
trigger a vicious cycle of inflammation and cellular proliferation that ultimately results in
lesion formation. These advances in genetic analyses, together with the progress made in
targeted biological therapy, pave the path to tailor treatment on the basis of an individual’s
genetic and immunologic profile.
Semin Cutan Med Surg 29:3-9 © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.