Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of Chinese Academy of Sciences/Key Laboratory of Bioactive Peptides of Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Kunming 650223, Yunnan, China
Chuanbin Shen
Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of Chinese Academy of Sciences/Key Laboratory of Bioactive Peptides of Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Kunming 650223, Yunnan, China
Qiumin Lu
Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of Chinese Academy of Sciences/Key Laboratory of Bioactive Peptides of Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Kunming 650223, Yunnan, China
Jiong Li
State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
Yuquan Wei
State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
Li He
The Department of dermatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming 650032, Yunnan, China
Ruizhen Bai
The Department of Pathology, The Affiliated Hospital of Jiangnan University Wuxi 4th People's Hospital, Wuxi 214062, Jiangsu, China
Jie Zheng
Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology, University of California, Davis, California 95616, United States
Ning Luan
Life Sciences College of Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, Jiangsu, China
Zhiye Zhang
Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of Chinese Academy of Sciences/Key Laboratory of Bioactive Peptides of Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Kunming 650223, Yunnan, China
Mingqiang Rong
Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of Chinese Academy of Sciences/Key Laboratory of Bioactive Peptides of Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Kunming 650223, Yunnan, China
Ren Lai
Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of Chinese Academy of Sciences/Key Laboratory of Bioactive Peptides of Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Kunming 650223, Yunnan, China
Psoriasis is histologically characterized by keratinocytes (KC) hyperproliferation, inflammation, and increased angiogenesis, but the pathological factor responsible for these symptoms is unknown. Here, a neuroendocrine peptide (prokineticin 2, PK2), is highly expressed in human and mouse psoriatic skins but no significant change in other autoimmune diseases, suggesting that PK2 is a psoriasis-specific factor. Bacterial products significantly up-regulated PK2, implying that infection induces PK2 over-expression. PK2 promoted KC and macrophage to produce interleukin-1 (IL-1), the central player of inflammation and psoriasis, which acts on adjacent fibroblast to induce inflammatory cascades and KC hyperproliferation. IL-1 feeds back on macrophages to induce PK2 production to perpetuate PK2-IL-1 positive feedback loop. PK2 also promoted angiogenesis, another psoriatic symptom. In mouse models, PK2 over-expression aggravated psoriasis while its knock-down inhibited pathological development. The results indicate that PK2 over-production perpetuates psoriatic symptoms by creating PK-2-IL-1 vicious loop. PK2 is a central player in psoriasis and a promising psoriasis-specific target.
