Research on defence system in the skin of psoriasis patients

On 2 October at 15:00, in a public session of the Doctoral Committee of Medicine, Rīga Stradiņš University, which will be held at the Hippocrates Lecture Theatre (16 Dzirciema Street), Ms Elga Sidhoma will defend her doctoral thesis titled “Morphological Characterisation of Local Defence System in the Skin of Psoriasis Patients”.

Psoriasis is a chronic and incurable skin disease that affects 1–3 % of the population in Europe. Significant biochemical, immunologic, genetic and vascular changes are characteristic features of psoriasis. At the same time, psoriasis is related to higher risk of metabolic syndrome, diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular diseases. Despite the increased amount of microorganisms in the skin of psoriasis patients, these patients rarely develop secondary bacterial skin infections, due to the presence of natural antimicrobial peptides in the skin of psoriasis patients.

The goal of the research was a morphological study of local skin defence system in psoriasis patients from the ontogenetic aspect.

Within the frame of the research, 40 patients with Psoriasis vulgaris with untreated skin inflammation and 10 control patients without inflammatory skin diseases in their anamnesis and visible signs of such diseases were studied. Skin samples of all patients were taken and analysed by applying the immunohistochemical method.

It was established that activation of skin antimicrobial peptides, specific neuropeptides-containing innervation (sensory), inflammatory cytokines, degeneration enzymes and programmed cell death is essential in the skin of psoriasis patients with different disease duration and progress is essential, as it testifies to their involvement in the morphopathogenesis of psoriasis.