Psoriasis is a chronic, non-communicable disease that was until recently considered simply a skin disease. The peculiarity of the inflammatory process in certain areas of the skin in patients with psoriasis is that the life cycle of normal skin cells is about 30-40 days, when, as in psoriasis, it is 4-5 days, that is, after 4 days, the skin cells gradually die, forming plaques. , dryness, peeling of the skin, etc.
The problem of treating this complex and difficult-to-treat disease today is urgent not only for dermatologists, many physicians from other specialties are often involved in determining the causes of psoriasis in a patient, and they are alsodirectly involved in the complex treatment of this disease. Today, medicine considers psoriasis in terms of a systemic failure in the body, and not just as an inflammatory process of the skin.
Even its name has changed, it is now a psoriatic disease. Why is psoriasis a systemic disease? Because in patients, several different disorders are found simultaneously in the work of the body as a whole: in the nervous, endocrine, immune systems. In medicine there are several types of psoriasis, there are also a large number of reasons for the occurrence of this ailment, mainly these are theories, since there is no convincing evidence of these alleged causes, we will consider them in more detail.
Some facts:Psoriasis is not contagious, as it is believed to be caused by a malfunction of the human immune system, that is, overactive T cells in the skin. Psoriasis is classified as a hereditary disease, with psoriasis in 1 of the parents, the risk of developing psoriasis in a child is 25%, if both parents have 65%. In addition to the hereditary factor, the triggering mechanism for the appearance or relapse of psoriasis is the intake of antibiotics, NSAIDs, B vitamins, as well as stress, alcohol and skin lesions.
Viral theory of the cause of psoriasis
Several studies conducted among psoriasis patients have found various changes in the peripheral lymph nodes, which may indicate the viral nature of the development of this disease. It is suspected that retroviruses are genetically transmitted by inheritance that may be one of the causes of psoriasis, but to prove the viral nature of the origin of psoriasis, it is necessary to identify the virus, isolate it and select the habitat, and evennow no one can.
The fact is that retroviruses have the ability to change the host's genetic code, they, with the help of the reverse transcriptase enzyme, have the ability to synthesize DNA, and a "false program" is formed in cells thatchanges the human genome. However, it has been established that even with blood transfusions from psoriasis patients to healthy individuals, infection or transmission of the disease has never been observed. Therefore, the version about the viral cause of psoriasis has not yet been tested.
The immune cause of psoriasis
This is one of the generally accepted theories about the causes of psoriasis, as disorders of cellular immunity are considered the main trigger for the disease. Long ago it was noted that in people with a genetic predisposition to psoriatic disease, in the case of chronic foci of infection (tonsillitis, sinusitis, indicating impaired immunity) are factors that provoke the appearance of psoriasis.
When a primary focus of psoriasis occurs, medicine also suggests that damage to the epidermis is caused by autoimmune insult. In numerous studies of patients with psoriasis, abnormalities in immune complexes, antibodies, immunoglobulins, which cause Munro's microabscesses, have been identified.
In the process of activating psoriasis inflammation, the hypersensitivity of the skin increases sharply, therefore, in places of physical or chemical irritation, rashes characteristic of psoriasis appear. When examining the skin scales, antigenic components and autoantibodies against them were found in the blood, which are not found in healthy people either in the skin or in the blood.
This fact gives reason to affirm that the autoimmune process plays an important role in the cause of psoriasis. But any process, even immune reactions, develops in the body as a whole system, therefore a combination of other factors should be taken into account, such as endocrine influence, hereditary factors, metabolic disorders.
Infectious theory of psoriasis development
One hundred years ago, many researchers stubbornly searched for an infectious agent of psoriatic disease, and streptococci, spirochetes, and epidermophytes were found to be responsible for its occurrence. However, none of these pathogenic microorganisms, fungi, after investigation, did not turn out to be the cause of psoriasis.
However, infectious diseases, tonsillitis, and ARVI influenza affect exacerbation or trigger the primary onset of psoriasis, especially in the cold season, when the immune system is weakened and psoriasis patients are often admittedat the hospital.
Some authors believe that the development of psoriasis in the context of acute and chronic infection is explained by the influx of impulses from the focus of infection to the endocrine system and the vegetative section, which leads to a restructuring of thereactivity of the organism. Very often, that is, in 90% of cases, chronic tonsillitis accompanies psoriasis, confirming the influence of infectious processes and impaired immunity on the development of psoriasis.
In addition, according to many experts, there is an infectious-allergic cause of psoriasis. Its supporters believe that psoriasis is an allergic tissue reaction to viruses, streptococci, and their waste products. However, neither the viral nor the infectious theory has yet been confirmed.
Genetic cause
This cause is based on a familial manifestation of psoriasis between close and distant relatives. However, psoriasis should not be considered a strictly hereditary disease, as well as diabetes, cancer, ischemic heart disease, since psoriasis itself is not inherited, but only a genetic predisposition to it. Yes, 60% of psoriasis patients have ancestors or close relatives who suffer from this disease, and if one of the parents is ill, then according to the theoretical probability, the child's risk of developing psoriasis increases by 25%, and if both parents are sick, up to 75%.
However, not always in psoriasis, the cause is only a genetic factor. This disease has become very common in clinical practice recently and there is not always a direct dependence on the related predisposition. In psoriasis, the causes of appearance are so multifactorial that it is impossible to unequivocally indicate a specific cause. Since the pathogenic factors are also violations of protein or carbohydrate metabolism, and changes in lipid, enzymatic metabolism, a combination with foci of streptococcal infection or of a viral nature.
Metabolic disorders as factors in the development of psoriasis
If we consider metabolic disorders in psoriasis, in many patients there is a slight decrease in body temperature, and this is one of the symptoms of a slower metabolism, an increase in cholesterol content is also observed, indicatingchanges in lipid metabolism. Given the high level of cholesterol, many researchers consider psoriasis as a cholesterol diathesis, and consider that its increase is the initial manifestation of dermatosis, since an alteration in lipid metabolism stimulates the formation of keratinization of the skin.
Furthermore, in psoriasis, the metabolism of vitamins, especially vitamin C, A, B12, B6 is disturbed, while the content of vitamin C in the skin increases. In addition, changes in the content of iron, copper and zinc were noted, which significantly reduces the adaptive properties of the human body. Almost 25% of psoriasis patients also suffer from diabetes mellitus, however, some researchers consider this fact not as the cause of psoriasis, but, on the contrary, as a manifestation of psoriatic disease.
With the progression of the disease, the basal metabolism in patients with psoriasis increases more often, and in those patients who have a decreased metabolism, symptoms of hypothyroidism, endocrine glands, gonads are often manifested; in 60% of psoriasis patients, the overall carbohydrate metabolism is impaired. Low calorie foods, or even moderate fasting, reduce the body's autointoxication, so a diet for psoriasis therapy improves the patient's condition.
Factors that cause psoriasis
At the current stage of medical research in the field of determining the cause of psoriasis, we can say that it is a systemic disease of constant recurrence that appears in genetically predisposed people, with concomitant alteration of various metabolisms of the nervous systemcentral.
Stress
For both the onset of psoriasis and the exacerbation of existing chronic psoriasis, the main triggers are most often stress, psychological trauma, prolonged fatigue and nervous tension.
Stress triggers immunological and biochemical reactions that contribute to the development of psoriasis. However, negative emotions sometimes serve, on the contrary, to complete the clinical symptoms of psoriasis. According to a survey of patients with psoriasis, this provoking factor causes the appearance of the disease in 49% of patients and in 41% it causes a relapse of psoriasis.
Infectious diseases, vaccination, chronic sources of infection
Tonsillitis, sinusitis, STIs, otitis media, etc. are often detected. , especially very virulent streptococci. For the exacerbation of the disease, this factor is relevant in 21% of patients, and for the beginning of the development of psoriasis, infection is a triggering mechanism in 15% of patients.
Hormonal changes in women
During pregnancy, lactation, menopause or adolescence, in 6% of the surveyed patients, this was also a provoking factor in the development of psoriasis.
Wounds, bites, burns
Any trauma to the skin: In 12-14% of patients, the onset of psoriasis is caused by physical trauma.
Prolonged hypothermia
It is the cause of psoriasis or its exacerbation in 5% of patients.
Medications
Like any type of antibiotic, NSAIDs. Vitamin therapy, especially vitamins C, B, beta-blockers, cytostatics, vaccination, the use of herbal remedies in treatment, provokes psoriasis in 6% of patients.
Food poisoning, abuse of certain foods
Chocolate, citrus fruits and other products: according to a survey of patients, this is the cause of psoriasis in 4% of patients.
Drinking alcohol
Furthermore, a provoking factor that causes the generalization of the inflammatory process shortens the remission period and increases the risk of complications, this is indicated by 3% of those surveyed.
Climate change
High humidity, prolonged exposure to intense ultraviolet radiation, sudden changes in temperature and humidity: aggravates 2% of patients.
The first symptoms of incipient psoriasis can occur regardless of age, just as often it appears in babies and in people aged 20 to 40, even in old age, psoriasis can begin to develop. Naturally, the earlier it appears, the more serious the consequences it causes for the patient. If psoriasis begins in a person after the age of 30, it is usually accompanied by gastritis, liver diseases, being overweight, various neuroses, diabetes, arthritis and other diseases.