MicroRNAs: novel regulators involved in the pathogenesis of psoriasis?

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 2; no. 7; p. e610
• Main Authors: Sonkoly, Enikö, Wei, Tianling, Janson, Peter C J, Sääf, Annika, Lundeberg, Lena, Tengvall-Linder, Maria, Norstedt, Gunnar, Alenius, Harri, Homey, Bernhard, Scheynius, Annika, Ståhle, Mona, Pivarcsi, Andor
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 11.07.2007; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Adult; Adults; Algorithms; Apoptosis; Atopy; B cells; Blotting, Western; Chemokines; Comparative analysis; Crosstalk; Cytokines; Deregulation; Dermatitis, Atopic - genetics; Dermatitis, Atopic - pathology; Dermatology; Dermatology/Atopic Dermatitis and Other Forms of Eczema; Dermatology/Psoriasis and Other Inflammatory Diseases; Disease; Eczema; Evolutionary conservation; Fibroblasts; Fibroblasts - physiology; Gene expression; Gene Expression Profiling; Gene Expression Regulation; Genes; Humans; Immunology; Immunology/Allergy and Hypersensitivity; Immunology/Immune Response; Inflammation; Keratinocytes; Keratinocytes - physiology; Ligands; Mast Cells - physiology; Medicin och hälsovetenskap; Medicine; MicroRNA; MicroRNAs; MicroRNAs - genetics; miRNA; Organs; Pathogenesis; Plaques; Post-transcription; Proteins; Psoriasis; Psoriasis - etiology; Psoriasis - genetics; Psoriasis - psychology; Quality of Life; Reference Values; Regulators; Regulatory mechanisms (biology); Ribonucleic acid; RNA; Rodents; Skin; Skin - physiopathology; Skin diseases; Skin Physiological Phenomena; SOCS-3 protein; T-Lymphocytes - physiology; Tissues
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0000610

MicroRNAs are a recently discovered class of posttranscriptional regulators of gene expression with critical functions in health and disease. Psoriasis is the most prevalent chronic inflammatory skin disease in adults, with a substantial negative impact on the patients' quality of life. Here we show for the first time that psoriasis-affected skin has a specific microRNA expression profile when compared with healthy human skin or with another chronic inflammatory skin disease, atopic eczema. Among the psoriasis-specific microRNAs, we identified leukocyte-derived microRNAs and one keratinocyte-derived microRNA, miR-203. In a panel of 21 different human organs and tissues, miR-203 showed a highly skin-specific expression profile. Among the cellular constituents of the skin, it was exclusively expressed by keratinocytes. The up-regulation of miR-203 in psoriatic plaques was concurrent with the down-regulation of an evolutionary conserved target of miR-203, suppressor of cytokine signaling 3 (SOCS-3), which is involved in inflammatory responses and keratinocyte functions. Our results suggest that microRNA deregulation is involved in the pathogenesis of psoriasis and contributes to the dysfunction of the cross talk between resident and infiltrating cells. Taken together, a new layer of regulatory mechanisms is involved in the pathogenesis of chronic inflammatory skin diseases.