Hepatitis C may enhance key amplifiers of psoriasis.

BackgroundMultiple studies have noted an association between hepatitis C and psoriasis, but it is not known whether psoriasis is a result of treatment modalities for hepatitis C or a result of hepatitis C alone. ObjectiveTo examine the relationship between psoriasis and hepatitis C by measuring the expression of cathelicidin, TLR9 and IFN in psoriatic lesional and non-lesional skin in HCV-positive and negative psoriatic patients. MethodsTwo 2 mm punch biopsies of lesional and non-lesional skin in 10 patients who were HCV-negative psoriatics and seven HCV-positive psoriatics were used to measure cathelicidin, TLR9 and IFN mRNA expression by quantitative reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). ResultsThe mRNA levels of cathelicidin, TLR9 and IFN were significantly higher in both non-lesional and lesional skin of HCV-positive patients with psoriasis as compared to HCV-negative psoriatic patients. Additionally, the IFN level in lesional skin of HCV-positive psoriatic patients was higher than the IFN level seen in non-lesional skin of those same patients. ConclusionThese findings suggest that HCV infection upregulates these inflammatory cytokines, possibly increasing susceptibility to developing psoriasis.