Hypotheses and Comments

New Hypotheses in the Genetics of Psoriasis and Other 'Complex' Diseases
Jean-Jacques Guilhou, Jean-Pierre Molès

Laboratoire de Dermatologie Moléculaire, Institut Universitaire de Recherche Clinique, Montpellier, France

Address of Corresponding Author

Dermatology 2008;216:87-92 (DOI: 10.1159/000111504)

  Key Words

• Genetic predisposition
• Genetics
• Psoriasis
• Retrotransposons
• Retrovirus

  Abstract

Psoriasis is a complex genetic disorder in which the disease, according to the current concept, is caused by the interplay of many different genes. However, recent genetic studies indicate that the location of these genes varies considerably among populations and families, raising the question of how the same phenotype can be induced by such variable genetic linkages. To circumvent these discrepancies we propose that psoriasis could be induced by the same repetitive DNA sequence, an endogenous retroviral element present at different locations in the genome. The occurrence of the disease could be linked to an abnormal activation of one or more endogenous retroviral element copies due to their location and/or to modification of their sequence. This unifying concept would simplify our understanding of genetically complex diseases.

Copyright © 2008 S. Karger AG, Basel

  Author Contacts

Jean-Jacques Guilhou
Laboratoire de Dermatologie Moléculaire
Institut Universitaire de Recherche Clinique, 641, avenue du Doyen G. Giraud
FR-34093 Montpellier Cedex 5 (France)
Tel. +33 467 415 911, Fax +33 467 542 731, E-Mail dermato@iurc.montp.inserm.fr

  Article Information

Received: March 15, 2007
Accepted: July 18, 2007
Published online: January 23, 2008
Number of Print Pages : 6
Number of Figures : 0, Number of Tables : 1, Number of References : 64