Dr Alex Vasquez in Portland, Oregon: Treatment for Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis

Psoriasis & Psoriatic Arthritis

Psoriasis and peptidoglycans and teichoic acid—Contribution of Staphylococcus aureus cell wall products teichoic acid and peptidoglycan to immunoglobulin (IgE, IgA, IgG) synthesis and CD23 expression in patients with atopic dermatitis (Immunology 1992 Jan[1]): Patients with the inflammatory pruritic skin condition atopic dermatitis (eczema) have increased skin and nasal colonization with the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus and that the immune response induced by living or dead Staphylococcus aureus differs in eczema patients from that seen in normal healthy patients; in patients with eczema, exposure to fragments of Staphylococcus aureus actually causes immunosuppression (reductions in IgA and IgG) rather than the expected immune upregulation that should occur following exposure to a pathogenic microbe. Furthermore, in patients with eczema, exposure to Staphylococcus aureus cell wall fragments causes increased production of IgE and histamine, two pathophysiologic factors inextricably associated with the skin inflammation and discomfort/itchiness of eczema. The finding that bacterial cell wall fragments can lead to reduced production of IgA and IgG implies that mucous membrane and/or skin colonization with Staphylococcus aureus (and perhaps Bordetella pertussis, Haemophilus influenzae and Gram-negative bacteria which produce lipopolysaccharide [LPS]) can promote local and systemic immune suppression which favors (poly)microbial colonization and persistence while also contributing to skin inflammation and irritation via enhanced production of IgE and histamine. Readers should appreciate that psoriatic patients also have increased nasal and skin colonization with Staphylococcus aureus and that psoriasis—like eczema—is a chronic inflammatory skin disorder; thus, Staphylococcus aureus probably acts via similar molecular mechanisms to produce these two disorders, which differ from each other yet at the same time can be seen as variants on the theme of microorganism-triggered “patterns of inflammation

[1] Neuber K, König K. Effects of Staphylococcus aureus cell wall products (teichoic acid, peptidoglycan) and enterotoxin B on immunoglobulin (IgE, IgA, IgG) synthesis and CD23 expression in patients with atopic dermatitis. Immunology. 1992 January; 75(1): 23–28

Introduction to Dr Vasquez: Dr Alex Vasquez is an expert clinician, researcher, author and international lecturer who cares for patients in his office and educates other physicians world-wide on the best means to improve health outcomes. Dr Vasquez holds 3 doctoral degrees from fully-accredited American universities. In clinical practice, he treats a wide range of conditions and has particular interest in inflammatory/metabolic and autoimmune conditions such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, chronic fatigue, and psoriasis.