Updating your understanding of psoriasis

This article will be valuable to you if you are new to psoriasis, have been out of touch with new and current information from medical science, or you want to approach this year with optimism and a better understanding of psoriasis.

When we are exposed to psoriasis personally or through someone we care for, we can gain expertise in our own experience of treating psoriasis. Peer reviewed medical science articles will continue to contribute to our collective knowledge bank of psoriasis, however, sharing our stories is just as valuable. Psoriasis has no known cure, according to medical science. It is therefore up to us. World Health Organisation encourages psoriasis sufferers to share experiences to gain a collective understanding.

Let’s dismantle the medical interpretation of psoriasis so that new and upcoming articles can make sense to you.

Quote from a reviewed medical research article:

“Psoriasis is a common T-cell-mediated immune disorder characterized by circumscribed, red, thickened plaques with an overlying silver-white scale. It occurs worldwide, although the incidence is lower in warmer, sunnier climates. The primary cause of psoriasis is unknown. During an active disease state, an underlying inflammatory mechanism is frequently involved. Many conventional treatments focus on suppressing symptoms associated with psoriasis and have significant side effects”

Interpreting this information to you:

A psoriasis outbreak or condition is a result of an inflammation within your body systems. This inflammation is caused by an immune defect that affects your T-cells. A T-cell, also called T lymphocyte, is a type of white blood cell, also called a leukocyte. It is an essential part of your immune system. T-cells (leukocytes) determine the type of immune response your body has to foreign substances in the body. T-cells are one of two primary types of lymphocytes—B-cells being the second type. T-cells are also responsible for immune responses such as allergic reactions (for example gluten intolerance) and virtually all autoimmune disease (psoriasis, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis and so on).

Quote from a reviewed medical research article:

“Recent genetic and immunological advances have greatly increased understanding of the pathogenesis of psoriasis as a chronic, immune-mediated inflammatory disorder. The primary immune defect in psoriasis appears to be an increase in cell signalling via chemokines and cytokines that act on upregulated gene expression and cause hyper-proliferation of keratinocytes”.

Interpreting this information to you:

A cytokine and a chemokine are both small proteins made by cells in the immune system. They are important in the production and growth of lymphocytes (T-cells), and in regulating responses to infection or injury such as inflammation and wound healing.

Cytokines are a group of messenger molecules. Chemokines are a special type of cytokine that send white blood cells to infected or damaged tissues. Both use chemical signals to make changes in other cells.

Psoriasis is considered an immune defect because chemokines are sending incorrect signals that trigger an immune response which causes excessive production of keratinocytes.

Quote from a reviewed medical research article:

In order to properly understand the immune dysfunction present in psoriasis, it is imperative to understand the normal immune response of skin. Skin is a primary lymphoid organ with an effective immunological surveillance system equipped with antigen presenting cells, cytokine synthesizing keratinocytes, epidermotropic T-cells, dermal capillary endothelial cells, draining nodes, mast cells, tissue macrophages, granulocytes, fibroblasts, and non-Langerhans cells. Skin also has lymph nodes and circulating T lymphocytes. Together these cells communicate by means of cytokine secretion and respond accordingly via stimulation by bacteria, chemical, ultraviolet (UV) light, and other irritating factors. Generally, this is a controlled process unless the insult to the skin is prolonged, in which case imbalanced cytokine production leads to a pathological state such as psoriasis.

Interpreting this information to you:

Keratin is a protein that makes up the fibres of hair, nails, (even horn, hoofs, wool and feathers), and of the epithelial cells in the outermost layers of the skin. Keratin serves important structural and protective functions.

In the simplest of interpretations, psoriasis is considered a result of an incorrect signal by the cytokines to T-cells, thereby causing the T-cells to form excessive keratin as a false response to irritation, at a rate of around seven time more than we need.

Closing:

It is always a pleasure to research and dissect peer reviewed articles on psoriasis. Most pleasing of all is to deliver this information to you via PsoriasisLife in a way that you too can harness this knowledge and heal. When each article serves up another idea or suggestion of what we can do better, then we are a step closer to knowing how to heal. Knowledge is our power over psoriasis.