1. Defective Cyclic Guanosine Monophosphate-gated Calcium Channels and the Pathogenesis of Psoriasis.
- Author
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McKenzie, Roddie C., Oda, Yuko, Szepietowski, Jacek C., Behne, Martin J., and Mauro, Theodora
- Subjects
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PSORIASIS , *CALCIUM channels , *KERATINOCYTES , *CELL differentiation , *ION channels - Abstract
A positive association between intake of calcium channel blockers and psoriasis has been observed recently. Intake of blockers of voltage-gated calcium ion channels is associated with outbreaks of psoriasis after a latent period in patients with and without a previous family history of psoriasis. This suggests that interfering with calcium influx may trigger psoriasis. Calcium influx also occurs via cyclic guanosine monophosphate-gated channels; human keratinocytes contain functional and non-functional (splice variants) versions of these channels. We show here that keratinocytes and skin from psoriatic individuals express higher levels of mRNA encoding a non-functional cyclic guanosine monophosphate-gated calcium channel and that high expression of the splice variant by transfection of cells in culture leads to loss of protein expression for the functional cyclic guanosine monophosphate-gated Ca 2+ channels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2003
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