ABSTRACT
A multicenter meta-analysis including data from 9,389 psoriasis patients and 9,477 control subjects was performed to investigate the contribution of the deletion of genes LCE3C and LCE3B, involved in skin barrier defense, to psoriasis susceptibility in different populations. The study confirms that the deletion of LCE3C and LCE3B is a common genetic factor for susceptibility to psoriasis in the European populations (OR(Overall) = 1.21 (1.15-1.27)), and for the first time directly demonstrates the deletion's association with psoriasis in the Chinese (OR = 1.27 (1.16-1.34)) and Mongolian (OR = 2.08 (1.44-2.99)) populations. The analysis of the HLA-Cw6 locus showed significant differences in the epistatic interaction with the LCE3C and LCE3B deletion in at least some European populations, indicating epistatic effects between these two major genetic contributors to psoriasis. The study highlights the value of examining genetic risk factors in multiple populations to identify genetic interactions, and indicates the need of further studies to understand the interaction of the skin barrier and the immune system in susceptibility to psoriasis.
Subject(s)
Cornified Envelope Proline-Rich Proteins/genetics , Gene Deletion , HLA-C Antigens/genetics , Psoriasis/genetics , Adolescent , Adult , Asian People/genetics , Epistasis, Genetic , Female , Gene Frequency , Genetic Predisposition to Disease , Humans , Male , Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide , Risk Factors , White People/genetics , Young AdultABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: A 65-year-old man is described with a 40-year history of lupus vulgaris exfoliativus, a form of cutaneous tuberculosis that resembles psoriasis. He had been misdiagnosed as having psoriasis vulgaris for many years. A cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma developed within a plaque of lupus vulgaris exfoliativus. METHODS: A skin biopsy provided the correct diagnoses. RESULTS: The patient was successfully treated with medication for tuberculosis and had his skin cancer cured by surgical excision. CONCLUSIONS: With an increasing worldwide incidence of tuberculosis, one needs to be aware of its cutaneous forms and variants, as well as its complications, in particular skin cancer. Lupus vulgaris exfoliativus may resemble psoriasis vulgaris.
