Common Fundamentals of Psoriasis and Depression

Psoriasis is an inflammatory, immune-mediated disease that is frequently associated with psychological comorbidities such as depression. The stigma patients feel because of the appearance of their skin may contribute to the high psycho-social burden of the disease. However, there is emerging evidence that overlapping biological mechanisms are, to a substantial degree, responsible for the close interaction between psoriasis and depression. Increased proinflammatory mediators such as C-reactive protein (CRP) or interleukin (IL)-6 are present in both psoriasis and depression indicating that inflammation may represent a pathophysiologic link between the diseases. Anti-inflammatory biologic therapies treat the clinical manifestations of psoriasis, but might also play a significant role in reducing associated depressive symptoms in psoriasis patients. Comparison between single studies focusing on the change of depressive symptoms in psoriasis is limited by inconsistency of the applied depression screening tools.