Psoriasis is a chronic skin condition where, to put it simply, the body produces too much skin. The problem occurs when new skin cells are created and your old skin cells have not yet died off. This creates too many layers of skin which are building up at one time. Your body and blood vessels are trying to keep this skin healthy (as it is still alive), which is why you will see redness and experience swelling. The pain and appearance of Psoriasis isn’t something to take lightly and can get worse if not treated immediately.
Psoriasis and the Immune System
Recent research indicates that Psoriasis is most likely a disorder of the immune system, which is the intricate network of chemicals in your body that protect you from millions of bacteria, microbes, viruses, toxins, and parasites everyday.
The immune system can be categorized into two parts: the innate immune system and the adaptive immune system. Although the skin is part of your innate immune system, Psoriasis itself is linked to a malfunctioning in the adaptive immune system, the more complex part of your body’s defense which not only recognizes foreign invaders, called antigens, but also remembers them so that the next time they invade, your body can fight them off more quickly.
White blood cells, also called lymphocytes, are a key part of the adaptive immune system. There are two types of white blood cells: B cells and T cells. When B cells identify a foreign material, they secrete special chemicals called antibodies, which attach themselves to the invading organism and destroy it. T cells work by attacking the organism directly. Abnormal activity among these T cells is what scientists now believe to be the cause of symptoms associated with Psoriasis.
Researchers believe the malfunctioning T cells speed up the skin’s normal growth process. T cells release cytokines, which are chemicals used by the immune system to communicate messages. In the case of Psoriasis, these cytokines send a message to the skin cells instructing them to reproduce and mature at an accelerated rate. The cytokines also stimulate the activity of additional T cells and cause inflammation in the skin. In healthy skin, cells mature and are shed about every 28 days. In psoriatic skin, however, cells mature every 3 to 4 days, causing skin cells to pile up on the body more quickly than they can be shed. This results in the inflammation and patches or lesions that appear on the skin’s surface.
Psoriasis and Genetics
Studies show that some people are born genetically predisposed to develop Psoriasis, which means there is a gene or set of genes responsible for the condition. Researchers are currently studying large families whose members have the disease to pinpoint what gene or genes are involved.
Still, not everyone with a genetic predisposition to Psoriasis actually develops the disorder. Usually, symptoms occur only after the person has been exposed to some type of environmental trigger, including skin injury, bodily infections, stress, and certain types of medication.
Researchers are studying the environmental triggers that may cause Psoriasis and are attempting to find the gene or genes that are believed to be involved in Psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. Scientists hope that by gaining a better understanding of the causes of the condition they will be able to develop treatments to prevent its onset.