Cell-wall-deficient bacteria: a major etiological factor for psoriasis?

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Psoriasis is a common inflammatory skin disease, yet knowledge of the factors that may induce, trigger, or exacerbate psoriasis is not fully delineated. Recent advances have improved our understanding of the link between psoriasis and cell-wall-deficient bacteria (CWDB) infections. In the present study we assessed the prevalence of CWDB infection in patients with psoriasis.

METHODS:

The carriage rate of CWDB in the tonsil or pharynx of psoriasis patients, chronic tonsillitis patients and controls were investigated using hypertonic medium. Psoriasis patients with CWDB were randomly assigned to two groups and respectively treated with antibiotics or systemic therapy without antibiotic. Human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from psoriasis patients, chronic tonsillitis patients and control subjects were stimulated with bacteria antigens and extra-cellular levels of interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and interleukin (IL)-10 were measured in the supernatants using the ELISA technique, in vitro. Meanwhile, the proliferation ability of PBMC to respond to bacteria antigens was detected by MTT assay.

RESULTS:

CWDB were isolated from 74.2% of psoriasis patients, 23.5% of chronic tonsillitis patients and only 6.3% of controls. Antibiotic therapy was appropriate for approximately 80% of psoriasis patients with CWDB infection, and in only 8.9% psoriasis patients CWDB infection was detected after antibiotic therapy. Meanwhile, our study showed that CWDB and wide-type bacteria did remarkably enhance the production of IFN-gamma, in vitro, and PBMC proliferation.

CONCLUSION:

CWDB infection may be a virtual triggering factor in psoriasis by regulating T-cell activation.

• Authors: Guo-Li Wang, Xiu-Yun Li, Ming-Yi Wang, De-Gui Xiao, Yong-Yu Zhang, Xiao-Yan Yuan, Qi-You Wang, Jian-Jing Song
• Journal: Chinese medical journal (Chin Med J (Engl)) Vol. 122 Issue 24 Pg. 3011-6 (Dec 20 2009) ISSN: 2542-5641 [Electronic] China
• PMID: 20137493 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Randomized Controlled Trial, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Anti-Bacterial Agents
• Interleukin-10
• Interferon-gamma

Topics

• Adult
• Anti-Bacterial Agents (therapeutic use)
• Bacteria (cytology, drug effects, isolation & purification)
• Cell Wall (metabolism)
• Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
• Female
• Humans
• Interferon-gamma (metabolism)
• Interleukin-10 (metabolism)
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Psoriasis (drug therapy, etiology, metabolism, microbiology)
• Young Adult