Psoriasis and general bone loss linked, may help osteoporosis treatment research: Study

By Dr. Victor Marchione

Psoriasis and general bone loss have been found to be linked and studies suggest it may help osteoporosis treatment research. Researchers from the Genes, Development and Disease Group found that psoriasis patients experience higher levels of bone loss as a result of the disease. Their findings, published in Science Translational Medicine, described the molecular communication that is established between the inflamed skin and loss of bone mass. The research unveiled a possible treatment for psoriasis with already available drugs that could benefit bone health, too.
Psoriasis is an autoimmune disorder that affects two percent of the world’s population. Manifested as inflammation and scaling of the skin, psoriasis increases a person’s risk of developing a type of metabolic syndrome by predisposing them to obesity, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes.
First author and researcher Özge Uluçkan said, “We have detected that psoriasis causes the widespread and progressive loss of bone tissue. There is no active destruction of the bone. On the contrary, during the bone regeneration cycle, bone is not formed at the necessary speed to replace what is being lost and, therefore, patients’ bone mass reduces over time.”
Previous research found that in animal models the skin generated large amounts of the cytokine IL-17, which activates cellular inflammation response to damage. IL-17 travels through the blood and ends up in the bones where it blocks osteoblasts (cells responsible for bone formation) – just like it occurs in osteoporosis, arthritis, and myeloma. The mice were treated with IL-17 blockers, and normal function was restored along with bone formation.
When specialized CT scans were administered in psoriasis patients and healthy individuals, the researchers found that psoriasis patients had greater bone loss, which was correlated with higher levels of cytokine IL-17A in blood.
Uluçkan explained, “Treating psoriasis patients with IL-17 blockers — some already on the market — could have a beneficial effect on the loss of bone tissue, unlike other compounds that might only affect skin inflammation.”
“IL-17 has become a focus point for the investigation of the immune system. Its deregulation is not only related to psoriasis, but also to other diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, and multiple sclerosis. Some of these have been linked to loss of bone tissue, as in the case of inflammatory bowel disease, found in 70% of cases. It would be interesting to study whether IL-17 is responsible for this secondary effect,” Uluçkan concluded.

http://www.belmarrahealth.com/psoriasis-and-general-bone-loss-linked-may-help-osteoporosis-treatment-research-study/