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Bacterial soft tissue infection in psoriasis despite induction of epidermal antimicrobial peptides

Kirsten Steinz1, Sabine Schubert, Jürgen Harder

  • 1Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany.

Experimental Dermatology
|September 16, 2014
PubMed

Insights

Psoriatic skin shows normal antimicrobial peptide (AMP) levels, even during infection. This suggests other factors, not AMP deficiency, cause skin infections in psoriasis patients.

Area of Science:

  • Dermatology
  • Immunology
  • Microbiology

Background:

  • Antimicrobial peptides and proteins (AMP) possess broad-spectrum microbicidal activity.
  • High AMP concentrations in psoriatic skin are thought to protect against infections.
  • Human beta-defensins (hBD)-2 and hBD-3 are key AMPs found in psoriatic scales.

Observation:

  • A mild psoriasis patient (PASI 4.4) developed an erysipelas infection near a psoriatic plaque.
  • The study investigated if local AMP deficiency contributed to the infection.
  • Immunohistochemistry and ELISA on skin-washing fluids were used to analyze AMP levels.

Findings:

  • AMP expression and secretion were induced in the patient's psoriatic skin.
  • This indicates that AMP levels were not deficient at the site of infection.
  • The findings rule out local AMP deficiency as the primary cause of the soft tissue infection.

Implications:

  • Soft tissue infections in psoriasis patients may result from factors other than AMP deficiency.
  • Deep penetrating injuries could bypass the skin's innate defense system.
  • Further research is needed to identify alternative causes of infection in psoriatic lesions.
Keywords:
antimicrobial peptidesbacterial soft tissue infectionpsoriasis

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