Autophagy-related gene 16L1 value in chronic plaque psoriasis

Background Psoriasis is a chronic hyperproliferative inflammatory disease, in which genetic and environmental factors have an important role, but the exact cause is yet unknown. Autophagy is a strictly regulated lysosomal degradation pathway that is crucial for maintaining intracellular homeostasis and normal development. Dysregulation of autophagy-related genes has been recognized to increase susceptibility to diseases, such as inflammation, cancer, and autoimmune disorders. Aim Our study aimed to detect the expression of the autophagy-related gene 16L1 (ATG 16L) in psoriasis patients compared with normal controls to investigate the role of autophagy in the pathogenesis of this disease. Patients and methods This case–control study included 30 psoriasis patients and 30 healthy controls. Punch skin biopsies of 4 mm were taken from psoriatic lesions and then from the controls and they were kept in a lysis solution for the stability of the studied parameters and were kept frozen at –80°C till analysis of ATG 16L using real-time PCR. Results The level of the ATG 16L1 in the lesional skin of psoriasis was significantly increased compared with normal controls (P<0.001). Limitation Limited number of patients were included in this study (30 patients). Conclusion Autophagy process may play an important role in the pathogenesis of psoriasis disease.