[Possible relations between Reiter's disease and psoriasis (author's transl)]

Area of Science:

• Dermatology
• Immunogenetics

Background:

• Reiter's disease, a reactive arthritis, often presents with mucocutaneous manifestations.
• Psoriasis vulgaris is a chronic inflammatory skin condition.
• Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) genes are crucial in immune response and disease predisposition.

Observation:

• A patient presented with symptoms consistent with a venereal form of Reiter's disease, including a pustular exanthem and balanitis circinata.
• The pustular exanthem appeared to transform into typical Psoriasis vulgaris during the disease course.

Findings:

• Genetic analysis for Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) antigens characteristic of Reiter's disease and Psoriasis vulgaris was negative in this patient.
• However, HLA antigens A10, B7, and B12 were detected.
• The absence of the typical HLA-B27 antigen in this case of Reiter's disease was noted.

Implications:

• This case raises questions about a potential link between HLA-B27-negative Reiter's disease and a predisposition to phenotypical Psoriasis vulgaris.
• The findings suggest that "unusual" histocompatibility genes might play a role in the genotypic predisposition to such conditions.
• Further research into the immunogenetic basis of reactive arthritis and its association with psoriasis is warranted.