Enhanced NAMPT-Mediated NAD Salvage Pathway Contributes to Psoriasis Pathogenesis by Amplifying Epithelial Auto-Inflammatory Circuits

The Intersection of the Pathogenic Processes Underlying Psoriasis and the Comorbid Condition of Obesity

In the past decade, our understanding of psoriasis pathogenesis has made significant steps forward, leading to the development of multiple game-changing therapies. While psoriasis primarily affects the skin, it is increasingly recognized as a systemic disease that can have effects beyond the skin. Obesity is associated with more severe forms of psoriasis and can potentially worsen the systemic inflammation and metabolic dysfunction seen in psoriatic patients. The exact mechanisms underlying the link between these two conditions are not fully understood, but it is believed that chronic inflammation and immune dysregulation play a role. In this review, we examine the existing body of knowledge regarding the intersection of pathogenic processes responsible for psoriasis and obesity. The ability of biological therapies to reduce systemic and obesity-related inflammation in patients with psoriasis will be also discussed.

Predictive value of adipokines for the severity of acute pancreatitis: a meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) is a dangerous condition with a high mortality rate. Many studies have found an association between adipokines and the development of SAP, but the results are controversial. Therefore, we performed a meta-analysis of the association of inflammatory adipokines with SAP.

METHODS

We screened PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science and Cochrane Library for articles on adipokines and SAP published before July 20, 2023. The quality of the literature was assessed using QUADAS criteria. Standardized mean differences (SMD) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated to assess the combined effect. Subgroup analysis, sensitivity analysis and publication bias tests were also performed on the information obtained.

RESULT

Fifteen eligible studies included 1332 patients with acute pancreatitis (AP). Pooled analysis showed that patients with SAP had significantly higher serum levels of resistin (SMD = 0.78, 95% CI:0.37 to 1.19, z = 3.75, P = 0.000). The difference in leptin and adiponectin levels between SAP and mild acute pancreatitis (MAP) patients were not significant (SMD = 0.30, 95% CI: -0.08 to 0.68, z = 1.53, P = 0.127 and SMD = 0.11, 95% CI: -0.17 to 0.40, z = 0.80, P = 0.425, respectively). In patients with SAP, visfatin levels were not significantly different from that in patients with MAP (SMD = 1.20, 95% CI: -0.48 to 2.88, z = 1.40, P = 0.162).

CONCLUSION

Elevated levels of resistin are associated with the development of SAP. Resistin may serve as biomarker for SAP and has promise as therapeutic target.

Bioinformatic Analysis to Identify and Cellular Experiments to Validate Autophagy-related Genes in Psoriasis

PURPOSE

To explore differentially expressed genes (DEGs) associated with autophagy in psoriasis using bioinformatics analysis and verify them in an M5-induced psoriatic cell model.

METHODS

We obtained gene expression microarray data from patients with psoriasis and normal skin tissues from the dataset GSE78097 of the NCBI Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. R software was used to identify DEGs associated with autophagy in psoriasis. Proteinprotein interaction (PPI) and correlation analyses were used to show interactions between certain genes. Their potential biological roles were determined using Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses. Finally, all the DEGs associated with autophagy in psoriasis were validated in a psoriatic cell model by RT-qPCR.

RESULTS

28 DEGs associated with autophagy were identified. These genes were linked to one another, and the most connected hub gene was VEGFA, according to PPI analysis. GO and KEGG enrichment analyses revealed various biological pathways associated with autophagy. The RT-qPCR findings of the expression of 18 genes in the psoriatic cell model confirmed the bioinformatics analysis results. The five genes with the most significant differences were IL24, CCL2, NAMPT, PPP1R15A, and SPHK1.

CONCLUSION

We identified DEGs associated with autophagy in patients with psoriasis. IL24, CCL2, NAMPT, PPP1R15A, and SPHK1 were identified as important genes that may influence psoriasis development through the regulation of autophagy.

Identification and verification of three autophagy-related genes as potential biomarkers for the diagnosis of psoriasis

Psoriasis vulgaris is the most common form of the four clinical types. However, early diagnosis of psoriasis vulgaris is difficult due to the lack of effective biomarkers. The aim of this study was to screen potential biomarkers for the diagnosis of psoriasis. In our study, we downloaded the original data from GSE30999 and GSE41664, and the autophagy-related genes list from human autophagy database to identify differentially expressed autophagy-related genes (DERAGs) by R software. Then Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis were performed for DERAGs. DERAGs were validated by the other four databases (GSE13355, GSE14905, GSE6710, and GSE55201) to screen biomarkers with high diagnostic value for the early diagnosis of psoriasis vulgaris. Finally, DERAGs were verified in our clinical blood samples by ELISA. A total of 12 DERAGs were identified between 123 paired non-lesional and lesional skin samples from patients with psoriasis vulgaris. GO and KEGG enrichment analysis indicated the TORC2 complex was more enriched and the NOD-like receptor signaling pathway was mostly enriched. Three autophagy-related genes (BIRC5, NAMPT and BCL2) were identified through bioinformatics analysis and verified by ELISA in clinical blood samples. And these genes showed high diagnostic value for the early diagnosis of psoriasis vulgaris. We identified three autophagy-related genes (BIRC5, NAMPT and BCL2) with high diagnostic value for the early diagnosis of psoriasis vulgaris through bioinformatics analysis and clinical samples. Therefore, we proposed that BIRC5, NAMPT and BCL2 may be as potential biomarkers for the early diagnosis of psoriasis vulgaris. In addition, BIRC5, NAMPT and BCL2 may affect the development of psoriasis by regulating autophagy.

PARPs and ADP-Ribosylation in Chronic Inflammation: A Focus on Macrophages

Aberrant adenosine diphosphate-ribose (ADP)-ribosylation of proteins and nucleic acids is associated with multiple disease processes such as infections and chronic inflammatory diseases. The poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP)/ADP-ribosyltransferase (ART) family members promote mono- or poly-ADP-ribosylation. Although evidence has linked PARPs/ARTs and macrophages in the context of chronic inflammation, the underlying mechanisms remain incompletely understood. This review provides an overview of literature focusing on the roles of PARP1/ARTD1, PARP7/ARTD14, PARP9/ARTD9, and PARP14/ARTD8 in macrophages. PARPs/ARTs regulate changes in macrophages during chronic inflammatory processes not only via catalytic modifications but also via non-catalytic mechanisms. Untangling complex mechanisms, by which PARPs/ARTs modulate macrophage phenotype, and providing molecular bases for the development of new therapeutics require the development and implementation of innovative technologies.

The Role of Sirtuins in the Pathogenesis of Psoriasis

Psoriasis is the most common chronic inflammatory skin disease with a genetic basis. It is characterised by keratinocyte hyperproliferation, parakeratosis and inflammatory cell infiltration. Psoriasis negatively affects a patient's physical and emotional quality of life. Sirtuins (SIRTs; silent information regulators) are an evolutionarily conserved group of enzymes involved in the post-translational modification of proteins, including deacetylation, polyADP-ribosylation, demalonylation and lipoamidation. SIRTs are involved in a number of cellular pathways related to ageing, inflammation, oxidative stress, epigenetics, tumorigenesis, the cell cycle, DNA repair and cell proliferation, positioning them as an essential component in the pathogenesis of many diseases, including psoriasis. Activation of SIRT1 counteracts oxidative-stress-induced damage by inhibiting the mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK), nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) pathways and may mitigate pathological events in psoriasis. There is a significant reduction in the expression of SIRT1, SIRT2, SIRT3, SIRT4 and SIRT5 and an increase in the expression of SIRT6 and SIRT7 in psoriasis. The aim of the review is to draw the attention of physicians and scientists to the importance of SIRTs in dermatology and to provide a basis and impetus for future discussions, research and pharmacological discoveries to modulate SIRT activity. In light of the analysis of the mode of action of SIRTs in psoriasis, SIRT1-SIRT5 agonists and SIRT6 and SIRT7 inhibitors may represent new therapeutic options for the treatment of psoriasis.

NAMPT and PARylation Are Involved in the Pathogenesis of Atopic Dermatitis

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease of very high prevalence, especially in childhood, with no specific treatment or cure. As its pathogenesis is complex, multifactorial and not fully understood, further research is needed to increase knowledge and develop new targeted therapies. We have recently demonstrated the critical role of NAD⁺ and poly (ADP-ribose) (PAR) metabolism in oxidative stress and skin inflammation. Specifically, we found that hyperactivation of PARP1 in response to DNA damage induced by reactive oxygen species, and fueled by NAMPT-derived NAD⁺, mediated inflammation through parthanatos cell death in zebrafish and human organotypic 3D skin models of psoriasis. Furthermore, the aberrant induction of NAMPT and PARP activity was observed in the lesional skin of psoriasis patients, supporting the role of these signaling pathways in psoriasis and pointing to NAMPT and PARP1 as potential novel therapeutic targets in treating skin inflammatory disorders. In the present work, we report, for the first time, altered NAD⁺ and PAR metabolism in the skin of AD patients and a strong correlation between NAMPT and PARP1 expression and the lesional status of AD. Furthermore, using a human 3D organotypic skin model of AD, we demonstrate that the pharmacological inhibition of NAMPT and PARP reduces pathology-associated biomarkers. These results help to understand the complexity of AD and reveal new potential treatments for AD patients.

Inverse correlation between the expression of AMPK/SIRT1 and NAMPT in psoriatic skin: A pilot study

PURPOSE

Epidermal hyperplasia and the involvement of immune cells characterize the clinical picture of psoriasis. Among the several factors involved, attention has been focused on sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) - a deacetylase endowed with a variety of functions including the control of metabolic and inflammatory processes-, and on nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT), important for SIRT1 activation and involved in inflammatory events. The aim of the study was to analyze changes of SIRT1 and NAMPT expression in psoriatic skin.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Samples from healthy controls and psoriatic patients were subjected to immunohistochemical analysis.

RESULTS

A strong downregulation of SIRT1 expression was observed in skin samples from psoriatic patients compared to healthy controls. This was accompanied by a parallel reduction of adenosine monophosphate-activated kinase (AMPK) expression and, more strikingly, by the disappearance of cells immunolabeled for its active, phosphorylated form (pAMPK). In both cases, analysis of the distribution of immunopositive cells revealed a shift towards reduced intensity of staining. In contrast, NAMPT expression was upregulated in psoriatic samples in line with its pro-inflammatory role. This was again more visible with an intensity-based distribution analysis that evidenced a shift towards more intensely immunostained cell populations.

CONCLUSIONS

The present data correlate in the same samples the expression of SIRT1, pAMPK/AMPK and NAMPT in psoriasis and open the way for novel pharmacological targets in the treatment of the disease.