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Updated: Apr 15, 2026
Dissecting Innate Immune Signaling in Viral Evasion of Cytokine Production
Published on: March 2, 2014
Antiviral gene expression in psoriasis
R A Raposo1,2, R Gupta3, M Abdel-Mohsen4,5
1Division of Experimental Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
Background:
Psoriasis patients have relatively infrequent cutaneous viral infections compared to atopic dermatitis patients. Increased expression of four antiviral proteins (MX1, BST2, ISG15 and OAS2) has been reported in psoriatic skin and genetic studies of psoriasis have identified susceptibility genes in antiviral pathways.
Objective:
To determine if psoriasis is associated with pervasive expression of antiviral genes in skin and blood.
Methods:
We performed RNA sequencing on skin samples of 18 subjects with chronic plaque psoriasis and 16 healthy controls. We examined the expression of a predefined set of 42 antiviral genes, each of which has been shown in previous studies to inhibit viral replication. In parallel, we examined antiviral gene expression in atopic dermatitis, non-lesional psoriatic skin and psoriatic blood. We performed HIV-1 infectivity assays in CD4+ peripheral blood T cells from psoriatic and healthy individuals.
Results:
We observed significant overexpression of 16 antiviral genes in lesional psoriatic skin, with a greater than two-fold increase in ISG15, RSAD2, IRF7, MX2 and TRIM22 (P < 1E-07). None of these genes was overexpressed in atopic dermatitis skin (P < 0.0001) or non-lesional psoriatic skin. In contrast to the skin compartment, no differences in antiviral gene expression were detected in the peripheral blood of psoriasis cases compared to healthy controls. CD4+ T cells from both psoriatic and healthy patients supported HIV-1 infection at a similar rate.
Conclusion:
Our findings highlight psoriasis as an inflammatory disease with cutaneous but not systemic immune activation against viral pathogens.
Insights
Psoriasis involves increased antiviral gene expression in the skin, but not blood, indicating localized immune activation against viruses. This suggests psoriasis is a skin-specific inflammatory condition with antiviral defenses.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Dermatology
- Virology
Background:
- Psoriasis patients exhibit fewer viral infections than atopic dermatitis patients.
- Elevated expression of antiviral proteins (e.g., MX1, ISG15) is noted in psoriatic skin.
- Genetic studies link psoriasis susceptibility to antiviral pathways.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate pervasive antiviral gene expression in the skin and blood of psoriasis patients.
- To compare antiviral gene expression in psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, and healthy controls.
Main Methods:
- RNA sequencing of skin samples from psoriasis patients and healthy controls.
- Analysis of 42 predefined antiviral genes.
- HIV-1 infectivity assays in T cells.
Main Results:
- Significant overexpression of 16 antiviral genes in lesional psoriatic skin (e.g., ISG15, RSAD2).
- No overexpression of these antiviral genes in atopic dermatitis or non-lesional psoriatic skin.
- No differences in antiviral gene expression in peripheral blood; similar HIV-1 infectivity in T cells.
Conclusions:
- Psoriasis demonstrates localized immune activation in the skin against viral pathogens.
- The immune response in psoriasis is cutaneous, not systemic.
- Findings underscore psoriasis as an inflammatory disease with specific skin-based antiviral activity.
