Journal of Clinical & Experimental Dermatology Research
Open Access

Psoriasis is not autoimmune

7^th European Dermatology Congress

June 13-14, 2016 Alicante, Spain

Lionel Fry

Imperial College London, UK

Keynote: Clin Exp Dermatol Res

Abstract :

Psoriasis is considered to be autoimmune. This is based on cross-reactive peptides, between streptococcal and keratin peptides. However studies have reported that these peptides react with CD8 T cells. But it is CD4 T cells which initiate psoriasis. Recently it has been reported that streptococcus is the commonest organism found in the skin of psoriasis. It is now proposed that a streptococcal peptidoglycan is the antigen which initiates and maintains psoriasis. This is supported by the polymorphism of the genes reported in psoriasis. The genes found in psoriasis are those concerned with innate immunity and those concerned with PGRP-3 and -4.

Biography :

Lionel Fry has studied Medicine at King's College Hospital Medical School. He has entered dermatology in 1963 after house jobs and a Medical Registrar's post at King's. He was trained first at St John's, then St Thomas' and finally The London Hospital. Whilst at London he was awarded two MRC grants: One to study psoriasis and the other to study dermatitis herpetiformis. In 1969 he was appointed as Consultant Dermatologist at St Mary's Hospital in London. In 1997, he became a Professor of Dermatology at Imperial College, London. He is continuing his work on the role of microorganisms in psoriasis with colleagues at The Karolinska Institute in Stockholm. His research interests have focused on dermatitis herpetiformis and psoriasis and he is currently investigating the microbiome of psoriasis.

Email: l.fry@imperial.ac.uk