Psoriasis and Pulmonary Function - Unveiling Genetic Connections

Abstract

Psoriasis, an immune-mediated skin disease characterized by erythematous plaques, is often associated with chronic lung diseases that impair pulmonary function. To investigate a potential genetic link between psoriasis and pulmonary function, we analyzed 63 previously reported psoriasis-associated single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) for their associations with both psoriasis and pulmonary function measurements using data from the UK Biobank (UKBB) and Vanderbilt University Medical Center Biobank (BioVU). Our results confirm significant associations of specific SNPs with both the risk of psoriasis and changes in pulmonary function. Notably, the minor alleles of rs17716942 and rs8016947 were linked to a lower risk of psoriasis and improved pulmonary function across both biobank cohorts. These findings highlight potential genetic intersections involving immune regulation and inflammatory responses, mediated by genes such as IFIH1, GCA, and NFKBIA, which may underlie the observed "skin-lung axis" in psoriatic patients.