Functional genome and proteome analyses of cutaneous autoimmune diseases

The use of functional genomics and proteomics technologies has dramatically increased through recent years with a special emphasis on cancer biology. However, a series of more recent reports has also addressed inflammatory diseases. These included studies on different autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus erythematosus, and systemic sclerosis. Gene and protein expression profiles from these studies have emphasized the role of cytokines, chemokines, and apoptosis-related molecules for the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases. Much less is known about gene and protein patterns of these diseases in dermatology. Here we provide an overview on current knowledge about genomics and proteomics analyses of cutaneous autoimmune diseases. These diseases include psoriasis, lupus erythematosus, systemic sclerosis, vitiligo, and alopecia areata. The presented findings not only provide deeper insights into the pathogenesis of each individual disease but also show overlapping gene patterns suggestive for common pathogenic mechanisms. However, many open questions remain to be resolved since data about local gene expression pattern in affected tissues are still scarce.