Annual Economic Cost of Psoriasis Estimated at over $110 Billion

A review article on the the effect of Psoriasis on the U.S economy was published online by JAMA Dermatology. The authors reviewed factors that have a direct, indirect, intangible and comorbidity (presence of one or more additional disorders) costs of adult psoriasis and estimate that the annual U.S. cost of psoriasis for 2013 to be between $112 billion and $135 billion.

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease. It causes the skin to be irritable and form thick, red skin with flaky, silver-white patches called scales. These scales are dead skin cells that form on the surface.

The disease occurs when the immune system mistakes healthy skin cells as a threat and attacks it. It sends out a signal to speed up the growth of new skin cells. Dead skin cells builds up on the skin surface which become scales.

By releasing an estimated annual cost of the Psoriasis, researchers believe it will help develop cost effective therapies that will help alleviate this economic burden and improve patient outcome.

Protein Molecule REG3A Lead To New And Better Treatment of Psoriasis

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease.

It is a common skin condition that is not contagious. Psoriasis is identified by dry, red patches of thick skin (called scales) resulting from rapid build up of skin cells. The redness and irritation are usually found around the skin of the elbows, knees, and scalp but can affect any area of the human body.

It is considered an autoimmune disease since the immune system mistakes the skin as a pathogen (infecting agent) and attacks by sending out signals to speed up the growth cycle of skin cells. The difference between psoriasis and other autoimmune disease is that unlike regular autoimmune diseases, there is no presence of any substance that activates the production of antibodies (antigen) to trigger an attack.

Skin cells are replaced about once a month in a process called cell turnover. These cells grow deep in the skin and rises above to replace old skin cells. In psoriasis, because of the signals from the immune system, the process is sped up and is done within days rather than in a month. The dead skin cells then accumulate on the skin surface as newer skin cells are pushed up due to the heightened cell turnover process.

Protein may be key to psoriasis and wound care

Psoriasis is an autoimmune disorder in which skin cells proliferate out of control. For some hard-to-heal wounds, the problem is just the opposite: Restorative skin cells don't grow well or fast enough. In a paper published in the June 21, 2012 issue of Immunity, researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine describe a molecule that may lead to new treatments for both problems.

An international team of scientists led by principal investigator Richard L. Gallo, MD, PhD, professor of medicine and chief of UC San Diego's Division of Dermatology, analyzed skin biopsies of patients with and without psoriasis, as well as the skin of mice with psoriasis and with wounds on their backs. They discovered that a molecule called regenerating islet-derived protein 3-alpha (REG3A) is highly expressed in skin cells during psoriasis and wound-healing, but not under normal skin conditions.

Rare Mutations in Card14 Gene Linked To Cause Psoriasis

Scientists have identified the first gene that can activate plaque psoriasis, the most common form of psoriasis.

Psoriasis is a common skin condition that causes skin redness and irritation. People with psoriasis have thick, red skin with flaky, silver-white patches called scales. These are dead skin cells that have built up on the surface. It must be stressed that psoriasis is not contagious and cannot be spread to others.

It is generally accepted that the skin condition can be hereditary, passing down through families. Psoriasis occurs when the immune system mistakes healthy cells as a threat. It sends out a signal to speed up the growth of new skin cells.

Skin cells grow deep in the skin and rise to the surface about once a month in a process called cell turnover. In psoriasis, because the immune system instructs the body to generate skin cells, the process is too fast, cell turnover is done within days and not the usual one month, that dead skin cells builds up on the skin surface.

First gene linked to common form of psoriasis identified

Scientists led by Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have identified the first gene directly linked to the most common form of psoriasis, a chronic skin condition.

The research shows that rare mutations in the CARD14 gene, when activated by an environmental trigger, can lead to plaque psoriasis. This type of psoriasis accounts for 80 percent of all cases and is characterized by dry, raised, red patches covered with silvery scales that can be itchy and painful.

The new findings also indicate that mutations in CARD14 can be involved in the pustular form of psoriasis and in a debilitating arthritis linked to the psoriasis. The discovery may lead to more effective, targeted therapies for plaque psoriasis and other forms of the disease.