Extracellular matrix alterations in the skin of patients affected by psoriasis

Fibroblasts with high matrix metalloproteinase 2 expression regulate CD8+ T-cell residency and inflammation via CD100 in psoriasis

BACKGROUND

Psoriasis is a T cell-mediated chronic inflammatory skin condition characterized by the interaction of T cells with various cell types, forming an inflammatory microenvironment that sustains psoriatic inflammation. Homeostasis of these tissue-resident T cells is supported by fibroblasts, the primary structural cells in the dermis. In psoriasis, there is increased expression of matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP2), mediating structural alterations in skin tissues and modulating inflammation. Additionally, the CD100-plexin-B2 (PLXNB2) axis is known to enhance psoriasis inflammation via keratinocytes, and CD103 levels are associated with the severity of psoriasis upon relapse.

OBJECTIVES

To elucidate the role of fibroblasts and the MMP2-CD100 axis in modulating psoriasis inflammation.

METHODS

CD100 expression and function in psoriasis were assessed using immunofluorescence, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, single-cell transcriptome sequencing, cellular interaction analyses and quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. CD8+ T cells from people with psoriasis were isolated using magnetic beads, to investigate the regulatory effect of MMP2 on CD100 expression on their membranes. Single-cell transcriptome sequencing, spatial transcriptome sequencing, mimetic timing analysis, immunofluorescence and flow cytometry were used to determine the origin of MMP2 and its impact on CD103+ CD8+ T cells. The hypotheses were further validated in vivo using MMP2 and CD100 inhibitors.

RESULTS

Soluble CD100 (sCD100) was significantly upregulated in both psoriatic lesions and peripheral blood, amplifying psoriasis inflammation by promoting the production of inflammatory cytokines by keratinocytes, fibroblasts and endothelial cells via the sCD100-PLXNB2 axis. Fibroblasts that highly expressed MMP2 (MMP2hi) exacerbated psoriasis symptoms by facilitating CD100 shedding from CD8+ T-cell membranes. Additionally, it was shown that fibroblasts enhance the upregulation of the CD8+ T-cell residency factor CD103 in co-cultures with CD8+ T cells. Inhibitors targeting MMP2 and CD100 were effective in reducing inflammation in an imiquimod-induced psoriasis model.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings underscore the pivotal role of MMP2hi fibroblasts in the amplification and recurrence of inflammatory responses in psoriasis. These fibroblasts augment psoriasis inflammation through the CD100-PLXNB2 axis by facilitating CD100 shedding on CD8+ T-cell membranes and by upregulating CD103, thereby enhancing CD8+ T-cell residency.

Biochanin A Ameliorates Imiquimod-Induced Psoriasis-Like Skin Inflammation in Mice by Modulating the NF-κB and MAPK Signaling Pathways

Psoriasis is a chronic skin inflammatory disorder characterized by the hyper-activation of the immune system and the over-proliferation of epidermal keratinocytes. This study aimed to investigate the anti-psoriatic activity of Biochanin A (BCA), a phytomolecule with known anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties, using the IMQ-induced psoriasis-like mouse model. Network pharmacology analysis was performed to investigate the targetability of Biochanin A (BCA) against psoriasis. Psoriasis-like skin inflammation was established using BALB/c mice by topical application of IMQ (5%). BCA cream (0.3%, 1%, 3%) was applied on the skin regions every day for 6 days. The skin phenotypes-erythema and scaling were scored every day. On the 7th day, skin tissues were collected for gene expression analysis, histopathological analysis, cytokine levels determination, and western blot analysis for signaling mechanisms. The network pharmacology analysis has identified 57 common targets between psoriasis and BCA. The topical application of IMQ induced a typical psoriasis-like skin phenotype including redness, skin thickening, and plaque formation. Upon BCA treatment, the psoriasis-like symptoms were significantly reduced in a dose-dependent manner. The targets identified by the network pharmacology (MMP9, EGFR, and PTGS2) and the pro-inflammatory cytokine gene expression were found to be significantly elevated in IMQ controls, and upon BCA treatment they were found significantly reduced. The release of cytokines linked to psoriasis (IL-17A and IL-23) were significantly reduced upon BCA treatment. Furthermore, our findings demonstrated that BCA treatment alleviated the psoriasis-like symptoms via modulating NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways. Our results demonstrate the therapeutic potential of BCA against IMQ-induced psoriasis-like skin inflammation.

Integrating patients in time series clinical transcriptomics data

MOTIVATION

Analysis of time series transcriptomics data from clinical trials is challenging. Such studies usually profile very few time points from several individuals with varying response patterns and dynamics. Current methods for these datasets are mainly based on linear, global orderings using visit times which do not account for the varying response rates and subgroups within a patient cohort.

RESULTS

We developed a new method that utilizes multi-commodity flow algorithms for trajectory inference in large scale clinical studies. Recovered trajectories satisfy individual-based timing restrictions while integrating data from multiple patients. Testing the method on multiple drug datasets demonstrated an improved performance compared to prior approaches suggested for this task, while identifying novel disease subtypes that correspond to heterogeneous patient response patterns.

AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION

The source code and instructions to download the data have been deposited on GitHub at https://github.com/euxhenh/Truffle.

Matrix metalloproteinase landscape in the imiquimod-induced skin inflammation mouse model

Inflammation and autoimmunity are known as central processes in many skin diseases, including psoriasis. It is therefore important to develop pre-clinical models that describe disease-related aspects to enable testing of pharmaceutical drug candidates and formulations. A widely accepted pre-clinical model of psoriasis is the imiquimod (IMQ)-induced skin inflammation mouse model, where topically applied IMQ provokes local skin inflammation. In this study, we investigated the abundance of a subset of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) in skin from mice with IMQ-induced skin inflammation and skin from naïve mice using targeted proteomics. Our findings reveal a significant increase in the abundance of MMP-2, MMP-7, MMP-8, and MMP-13 after treatment with IMQ compared to the control skin, while MMP-3, MMP-9, and MMP-10 were exclusively detected in the IMQ-treated skin. The increased abundance and broader representation of MMPs in the IMQ-treated skin provide valuable insight into the pathophysiology of skin inflammation in the IMQ model, adding to previous studies on cytokine levels using conventional immunochemical methods. Specifically, the changes in the MMP profiles observed in the IMQ-treated skin resemble the MMP patterns found in skin lesions of individuals with psoriasis. Ultimately, the differences in MMP abundance under IMQ-induced inflammation as compared to non-inflamed control skin can be exploited as a model to investigate drug efficacy or performance of drug delivery systems.

Artesunate inhibits macrophage-like phenotype switching of vascular smooth muscle cells and attenuates vascular inflammatory injury in atherosclerosis via NLRP3

Inflammation is one of the main pathogenic factors of atherosclerosis (AS), and the phenotypic transformation of macrophages in human vascular smooth muscle cells (HVSMCs) contributes to the inflammatory injury of blood vessels and the formation of atherosclerotic plaques. Artesunate reportedly exerts anti-inflammatory activity against AS. Herein, we aimed to explore the artesunate-mediated anti-inflammatory and HVSMC phenotypic switch effects against AS and elucidate potential underlying mechanisms. In vitro, artesunate decreased expression of NLRP3, caspase-1, and interleukin (IL)- 1β. Artesunate significantly inhibited low-density lipoprotein (LDL) expression in HVSMCs and macrophages. In vivo, artesunate reduced atherosclerotic plaque formation in high-fat diet (HFD)-fed ApoE-/- mice, as well as decreased NLRP3 and CD68 expression in atherosclerotic plaques. Artesunate decreased serum levels of triglycerides and increased high-density lipoprotein levels in HFD-med mice; however, serum levels of total cholesterol and LDL were unaltered. Treatment with artesunate substantially increased α-smooth muscle actin expression in aortic tissues while inhibiting expression levels of NLRP3, IL-1β, heparinase, matrix metalloproteinase 9, and Krüppel-like factor 4 (KLF4). Collectively, our findings suggest that artesunate-mediated effects may involve inhibition of the ERK1/2/NF-κB/IL-1β pathway in HVSMCs via the downregulation of NLRP3 expression. Thus, artesunate could serve as a novel strategy to treat AS by inhibiting AS plaque formation and suppressing macrophage-like phenotype switching of HVSMCs.

Chronic stress predisposes to the aggravation of inflammation in autoimmune diseases with focus on rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis

The global incidence of autoimmune diseases is on the rise, and many healthcare professionals believe that chronic stress plays a prominent role in both the aggravation and remission of these conditions. It is believed that prolonged exposure to stress is associated with neuroimmune axis malfunction, which eventually dysregulates multiple immunological factors as well as deregulates autoimmune responses that play a central role in various autoimmune diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis. Herein, we performed validation of an 8-week long rat model of chronic unpredictable stress (CUS) which consisted of exposing groups of rats to random stressors daily for 8 weeks. Additionally, we developed a novel rat model combining 8-week long random stressor-induced CUS with CIA-triggered arthritis and IMQ-triggered psoriasis and have successfully used both these models to assess the role of chronic stress in the aggravation of arthritis and psoriasis, respectively. Notably, the 8-week CUS protocol extensively aggravated and prolonged both arthritis and psoriasis condition in the rat model by upregulating the release of different pro-inflammatory cytokines, dysregulation of immune cell responses and oxidative stress system, which were all related to severe inflammation. Further, CUS aggravated macroscopic features and the increase in destruction of joint tissue and epidermal thickness induced by CIA and IMQ, respectively, in rats. In conclusion, this study suggests that exposure to an 8-week long CUS paradigm aggravates the distinctive characteristics of rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis in rats via amplifying the inflammatory circuits and immune cell responses linked to these autoimmune diseases.

Bioinformatics and Systems Biology Approach to Identify the Pathogenetic Link Between Psoriasis and Cardiovascular Disease

Objective

This study aimed to identify hub genes and common pathways shared between psoriasis and cardiovascular disease (CVD) using bioinformatics analysis and predict the transcription factors (TFs) of hub genes.

Methods

GSE133555 data from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database were used to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between involved and uninvolved skin lesions in psoriasis, employing the limma package in R. Additionally, CVD-related genes were obtained from the GeneCards database. The intersection of DEGs and CVD-related genes yielded CVD-DEGs. Gene Ontology and signaling pathway analyses were performed using the clusterProfiler package in R. Hub genes were identified by intersecting six algorithms in the CytoHubba plugin of Cytoscape. To identify potential biomarkers, the GSE14905 dataset was subjected to receiver operating characteristic analysis, resulting in the identification of eight central hub genes. Finally, the NetworkAnalyst web tool was used to identify the TFs of the eight hub genes.

Results

We identified 92 significant DEGs out of 1825 CVD-related genes in psoriasis obtained from the GSE13355 and GeneCard data. Functional enrichment analysis revealed the involvement of these genes in various signaling pathways, including the interleukin-17 signaling, tumor necrosis factor signaling, lipid and atherosclerosis, chemokine signaling, and cytokine signaling pathways in the immune system. The eight hub genes identified included interleukin-1 beta, C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 8, signal transducer and activator of transcription 3, C-C motif chemokine ligand 2, arginase 1, C-X-C motif chemokine receptor 4, cyclin D1, and matrix metallopeptidase 9, with forkhead box C1 also identified as an associated TF of these genes. These hub genes and TF may act as key regulators in the context of CVD.

Conclusion

This study identified several hub genes and signaling pathways associated with both CVD and psoriasis. These findings lay the groundwork for potential therapeutic interventions for patients with psoriasis affected by CVD.

A fragment of type VI collagen alpha-6 chain is elevated in serum from patients with atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, hidradenitis suppurativa, systemic lupus erythematosus and melanoma

Extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling of the skin is a continuous process necessary for maintaining tissue homeostasis. Type VI collagen (COL6) is characterized as a beaded filament, located in the dermal ECM, where COL6-α6-chain has been demonstrated upregulated in atopic dermatitis. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a competitive ELISA, targeting the N-terminal of COL6-α6-chain, named C6A6, and evaluate its associations with the dermatological condition's atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, hidradenitis suppurativa, systemic lupus erythematosus, systemic sclerosis, urticaria, vitiligo, and cutaneous malignant melanoma in comparison, to healthy controls. A monoclonal antibody was raised and employed in an ELISA assay. The assay was developed, technically validated, and evaluated in two independent patient cohorts. Cohort 1 showed C6A6 was significantly elevated in patients with atopic dermatitis (p < 0.0001), psoriasis (p < 0.0001), hidradenitis suppurativa (p = 0.0095), systemic lupus erythematosus (p = 0.0032) and melanoma (p < 0.0001) compared to healthy donors. Cohort 2 confirmed C6A6 being upregulated in atopic dermatitis compared to healthy controls (p < 0.0001), but also associated with disease severity (SCORAD, p = 0.046) and lowered in patients receiving calcineurin inhibitors (p = 0.014). These findings are hypothesis generating, and the utility of the C6A6 biomarker for disease severity and treatment response needs to be validated in larger cohorts and longitudinal studies.

Heparanase is the possible link between monkeypox and Covid-19: robust candidature in the mystic and present perspective

Heparanase (HPSE) is an endoglycosidase cleaves heparan sulfate (HS) and this contributes to the degradation and remodeling of the extracellular matrix. HS cleaved by HPSE induces activation of autophagy and formation of autophagosommes which facilitate binding of HPSE to the HS and subsequent release of growth factors. The interaction between HPSE and HS triggers releases of chemokines and cytokines which affect inflammatory response and cell signaling pathways with development of hyperinflammation, cytokine storm (CS) and coagulopathy. HPSE expression is induced by both SARS-CoV-2 and monkeypox virus (MPXV) leading to induction release of pro-inflammatory cytokines, endothelial dysfunction and thrombotic events. Co-infection of MPX with SARS-CoV-2 may occur as we facing many outbreaks of MPX cases during Covid-19 pandemic. Therefore, targeting of HPSE by specific inhibitors may reduce the risk of complications in both SARS-CoV-2 and MPXV infections. Taken together, HPSE could be a potential link between MPX with SARS-CoV-2 in Covid-19 era.

Heparanase Contributes to Psoriatic Lesions Through Crosstalk with IL-17 Pathway

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disease that is considered by a network of immunocytes and cytokines. Among all, Th17 cells-derived IL-17 is a critical driving factor in the pathogenesis of psoriasis. Recently, disruption of the extracellular matrix was found to be related to psoriasis progression. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the role of heparanase (HPSE) in psoriasis and the crosstalk with the IL-17 signalling pathway. Skin tissues from non-affected areas and psoriatic lesion areas before and after 12 weeks of IL-17 monoclonal antibody treatment of 30 psoriasis patients were collected. HaCaT cells were treated with different concentrations of IL-17 antibody, and HPSE in cells and medium were measured with Western blotting assay as well as enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). In the imiquimod (IMQ)-induced psoriasis model, IL-17 protein and mRNA expression levels were measured, and changes in the proportion of Th17 cells were detected via flow cytometry. Our data showed that HPSE is upregulated in lesion tissues isolated from psoriasis patients, and was inhibited by anti-IL-17 treatment. In cutaneous cells and IMQ-induced psoriasis model, IL-17 promoted the synthesis of HPSE. Inversely, HPSE was also found to increase the percentage of Th17 cells derived from CD4+ T cells. Finally, we found that the combined treatments of HPSE inhibitor and IL-17 monoclonal antibody produced therapeutic effects on IMQ-induced psoriasis model. Our findings revealed the new role of HPSE in the pathogenesis of psoriasis and also provided a target for combined treatment of psoriasis.

Psoriasis, Is It a Microdamage of Our "Sixth Sense"? A Neurocentric View

Psoriasis is considered a multifactorial and heterogeneous systemic disease with many underlying pathologic mechanisms having been elucidated; however, the pathomechanism is far from entirely known. This opinion article will demonstrate the potential relevance of the somatosensory Piezo2 microinjury-induced quad-phasic non-contact injury model in psoriasis through a multidisciplinary approach. The primary injury is suggested to be on the Piezo2-containing somatosensory afferent terminals in the Merkel cell−neurite complex, with the concomitant impairment of glutamate vesicular release machinery in Merkel cells. Part of the theory is that the Merkel cell−neurite complex contributes to proprioception; hence, to the stretch of the skin. Piezo2 channelopathy could result in the imbalanced control of Piezo1 on keratinocytes in a clustered manner, leading to dysregulated keratinocyte proliferation and differentiation. Furthermore, the author proposes the role of mtHsp70 leakage from damaged mitochondria through somatosensory terminals in the initiation of autoimmune and autoinflammatory processes in psoriasis. The secondary phase is harsher epidermal tissue damage due to the primary impaired proprioception. The third injury phase refers to re-injury and sensitization with the derailment of healing to a state when part of the wound healing is permanently kept alive due to genetical predisposition and environmental risk factors. Finally, the quadric damage phase is associated with the aging process and associated inflammaging. In summary, this opinion piece postulates that the primary microinjury of our “sixth sense”, or the Piezo2 channelopathy of the somatosensory terminals contributing to proprioception, could be the principal gateway to pathology due to the encroachment of our preprogrammed genetic encoding.

Remodeling of the Dermal Extracellular Matrix in a Tissue-Engineered Psoriatic Skin Model by n-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids

Psoriasis is an inflammatory skin disease mainly associated with an epidermal disorder. However, the involvement of the dermal extracellular matrix (ECM) composition in psoriasis is still poorly understood. This study aimed to investigate the expression of ECM components in psoriatic skin substitutes (PS⁻) compared with healthy skin substitutes (HS⁻), as well as the effect of an n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid, namely α-linolenic acid (ALA), on the psoriatic dermal compartment (PS^ALA+). Liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry analyses revealed that the lipidome of PS⁻ contained higher amounts of n-6 derived prostaglandins (PGE₂) and lipoxygenase products (9-HODE and 15-HETE). ALA supplementation increased the levels of PGE₃, 13-HOTrE, 15-HEPE, and 18-HEPE, and decreased the levels of PGE₂, 15-HETE, and 9-HOPE compared with PS⁻, indicating that ALA modulates the dermal lipidome of psoriatic skin substitutes. Gene expression profiling showed that several genes encoding for different ECM proteins were overexpressed in PS⁻ compared with HS⁻, namely COL1A1 (4.2-fold), COL1A2 (3-fold), COL3A1 (4.4-fold), COL4A1 (2.3-fold), COL4A2 (6.3-fold), COL5A1 (3.3-fold), COL5A2 (5.2-fold), and COL5A3 (4.6-fold). Moreover, the expression of collagen IV (Col IV), collagen VII (Col VII), and laminin was found to be increased in PS⁻ compared with HS⁻, and to be restored with ALA (PS^ALA+) according to immunofluorescence staining, while only the collagen I to collagen III ratio was altered according to dot blot analyses. Linear regression analysis revealed several positive correlations, including Col III with 14-HDHA levels, fibronectin with 12-HETE and 15-HETE levels, the dermo-epidermal junction Col IV with PGF_2α, 9-HODE, and 13-HODE levels, and laminin with levels of PGF_2α, 9-HODE, 13-HODE, 5-HETE, 12-HETE, and 15-HETE. These results suggest that the ECM plays an underestimated role in the pathogenesis of psoriasis and that ALA supplementation can regulate the ECM composition.