The Immunomodulatory Effects and Mechanisms of a Herbal Formula on Psoriasis 2397

Abstract Description Psoriasis, a chronic autoimmune skin disease, is a global health concern affecting over 60 million people. The disease involves dysfunctional helper T cells due to myeloid dendritic cell polarization. Despite the progress in modern medicine, issues such as side effects and poor adherence persist, underscoring the necessity for alternative treatments. In our clinical case, a 28-year-old man with guttate psoriasis turned to herbal medicine after limited success with conventional treatments. We applied a topical herbal ointment twice daily for eight weeks, resulting in significant relief from pain, itching, redness, and swelling. We then tested the water extract of the ointment’s four herbal components (DH-YH) on keratinocytes, dendritic cells, and TH1, TH2, and TH17 cells. DH-YH inhibited IL-8 production induced by IL-17 in keratinocytes and TNF-α and IL-6 production induced by LPS in BMDCs. It also significantly inhibited cytokine secretion by TH1, TH2, and TH17 cells (IFNγ, IL-4, and IL-17) without causing cytotoxicity, confirmed by cell viability assays. Moreover, in BALB/c mice, the herbal ointment demonstrated a significant reduction in epidermal thickness and immune cell infiltration in skin tissue. These promising findings strongly suggest the potential of herbal ointment as an effective, side-effect-minimal treatment for psoriasis. Topic Categories Therapeutic Approaches to Autoimmunity (THER)