[Autoimmune reactions in psoriasis : Spotlight].

BACKGROUND

Psoriasis is a human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-associated T‑cell-mediated disorder.

OBJECTIVES

The role of the main psoriasis risk allele HLA-C*06:02 in disease manifestation and the mechanisms which activate the pathogenic T‑cell response in the skin of psoriasis patients remained elusive.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

Key to the immune pathogenesis of psoriasis was the analysis of the specificity of the infiltrating lesional psoriatic CD8(+) T cells

RESULTS AND

CONCLUSION

Analyses of the lesional psoriatic T‑cell reactivity demonstrate that psoriasis is an autoimmune disease. It is based on an autoimmune response against melanocytes which is preferentially mediated by HLA-C*06:02 through autoantigen presentation. Here we discuss the mechanisms of this autoimmune response in the context of the polygenic psoriatic predisposition.