Defective cyclic guanosine monophosphate-gated calcium channels and the pathogenesis of psoriasis

Acta Derm Venereol. 2003;83(6):414-8. doi: 10.1080/00015550310014726.

Abstract

A positive association between intake of calcium channel blockers and psoriasis has been observed recently. Intake of blockers of voltage-gated calcium ion channels is associated with outbreaks of psoriasis after a latent period in patients with and without a previous family history of psoriasis. This suggests that interfering with calcium influx may trigger psoriasis. Calcium influx also occurs via cyclic guanosine monophosphate-gated channels; human keratinocytes contain functional and non-functional (splice variants) versions of these channels. We show here that keratinocytes and skin from psoriatic individuals express higher levels of mRNA encoding a non-functional cyclic guanosine monophosphate-gated calcium channel and that high expression of the splice variant by transfection of cells in culture leads to loss of protein expression for the functional cyclic guanosine monophosphate-gated Ca2+ channels.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Biopsy, Needle
  • Calcium Channels / metabolism*
  • Calcium Signaling
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Cyclic GMP / genetics
  • Cyclic GMP / metabolism*
  • Female
  • Genetic Markers / genetics
  • Humans
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Ion Channel Gating
  • Keratinocytes / pathology
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Probability
  • Psoriasis / genetics
  • Psoriasis / pathology*
  • RNA, Messenger / analysis
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Risk Assessment
  • Sampling Studies
  • Sensitivity and Specificity
  • Severity of Illness Index
  • Statistics, Nonparametric

Substances

  • Calcium Channels
  • Genetic Markers
  • RNA, Messenger
  • Cyclic GMP