Generation of a Gene Expression Signature for Sebaceous Glands by Transcriptome Comparison of Psoriasis and Sebaceous Hyperplasia
TLDR Sebaceous gland atrophy and abnormal function may contribute to hair loss in psoriasis.
The study investigated the gene expression in sebaceous glands (SG) by comparing psoriatic lesions (PP) and sebaceous hyperplasia (SH) lesions. It found a significant atrophy of SG in PP skin, with a 91% reduction in volume. Transcriptome analysis revealed that one lipid biosynthetic gene module (N5) was highly enriched for downregulated genes in PP skin and upregulated in SH lesions. A 12-gene SG expression signature was identified, all mapping to module N5. Despite fewer visible hairs in PP lesions, hair follicles were elongated and not morphologically damaged, suggesting that hair loss in psoriatic lesions might be due to abnormal SG function.
