Chemerin Exacerbates Psoriasis by Stimulating Keratinocyte Proliferation and Cytokine Production

ObjectivePsoriasis is often combined with metabolic abnormalities, such as obesity and diabetes. The upregulation of chemerin, which is an essential protein produced primarily from white fat, is strongly correlated to the development of psoriasis. However, there is no clarification on its exact function and mechanism in disease pathogenesis. The present study aims to determine its function and mechanism in disease pathogenesis.MethodsThe present study used a psoriasislike inflammatory cell model and imiquimod (IMQ)-induced mouse model to confirm whether chemerin is upregulated in psoriasis patients.ResultsChemerin enhanced the keratinocyte proliferation, inflammatory cytokine secretion, and activation of the MAPK signaling pathway. Crucially, the intraperitoneal injection of neutralizing anti-chemerin antibody (ChAb) diminished the epidermal proliferation and inflammation in the IMQ-induced mouse model.ConclusionThe present results indicate that chemerin promotes keratinocyte proliferation, and enhances the production of inflammatory cytokines, thereby aggravating the psoriasis. Thus, chemerin can be a prospective target for the treatment of psoriasis.

Automated summary

This study aims to determine the role of chemerin in the pathogenesis of psoriasis. The results show that chemerin enhances keratinocyte proliferation and increases the production of inflammatory cytokines, thereby aggravating the symptoms of psoriasis. Therefore, chemerin may be a promising target for the treatment of psoriasis.