Cytosolic RNA:DNA Duplexes Generated by Endogenous Reverse Transcriptase Activity as Autonomous Inducers of Skin Inflammation in Psoriasis.

Psoriasis is a chronic skin disease of unknown ætiology. Recent studies suggested that a large amount of cytosolic DNA (cyDNA) in keratinocytes is breaking keratinocytes DNA tolerance and promotes self-sustained inflammation in the psoriatic lesion. We investigated the origin of this cyDNA.

New hypotheses in the genetics of psoriasis and other 'complex' diseases.

Psoriasis is a complex genetic disorder in which the disease, according to the current concept, is caused by the interplay of many different genes. However, recent genetic studies indicate that the location of these genes varies considerably among populations and families, raising the question of how the same phenotype can be induced by such variable genetic linkages. To circumvent these discrepancies we propose that psoriasis could be induced by the same repetitive DNA sequence, an endogenous retroviral element present at different locations in the genome.