The connection between multiple sclerosis and psoriasis

Dec 12, 2018

• Treatments for Plaque Psoriasis

A meta-analysis of 43,643 patients with multiple sclerosis shows that these patients have an increased incidence and prevalence of psoriasis. The publication appeared online October 25 in the American Journal of Clinical Dermatology.

The review highlights the challenges of managing multiple sclerosis in the context of its comorbidities and complications, specifically psoriasis, according to lead author Ching-Chi Chi, M.D., Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taiwan. “Medical specialists should be aware of the risk of developing psoriasis in patients with multiple sclerosis. Because both disorders are attributed to autoimmune mechanisms, we suggest that dermatology specialists may need not only neurology, but also rheumatology consultations. Further laboratory or imaging studies may be necessary for psoriatic patients in whom neurological symptoms appear,” Chi and colleagues wrote.

Although the precise pathway leading to the concurrence of psoriasis and multiple sclerosis remains unclear, previous studies have focused on the immune system, environmental factors and genomics. The association between the two diseases may stem from the shared immune pathogenesis involving activation of T helper 1 (Th1) and Th17 cells, which lead to production of pro-inflammatory cytokines.

For multiple sclerosis, the proposed immunopathogenesis involves interferon-ƴ and TNF factors, along with IL-17, -21, -22 and -26, which are produced by Th17 cells. All of these cytokines are crucial in the pathogenesis of psoriasis.