Hypoxia and oxidative stress related to inflammation and vascular aspects of the pathogenesis of psoriasis

Psoriasis is a systemic autoimmune disease with roles in the innate and adaptive immune systems. Histological features include aberrant vascularization with dilated, tortuous, thin-walled capillaries and a mixed inflammatory infiltrate with mononuclear cells and neutrophils. There is increasing evidence that oxidative stress (hypoxia) plays an important role in vascular and inflammatory processes in the pathogenesis of psoriasis. In addition, it appears that systemic inflammation and oxidative stress could be a mechanistic link between psoriasis and concomitant cardiometabolic disorders. To present a unifying overview of the current literature on the general concept on the interrelationship between oxidative stress, vascular alternations and inflammation within the pathogenesis of psoriasis. More particularly, we aimed to gain insight into the pathomechanisms related to cardiovascular comorbidities - an important and distressing component of psoriatic disease. Standardized literature searches in PubMed and Embase were carried out with a focus on oxidative stress, inflammation and vascularization in psoriasis. In this article, the current knowledge on the role of oxidative stress in the inflammatory and vascular aspects of the pathogenesis of psoriasis are stated. Moreover, contemporary awareness of the pathomechanisms related to cardiovascular diseases are pointed out. The review presents arguments to underline the importance of hypoxia and oxidative stress in the inflammatory and vascular response within the pathogenesis of psoriasis and associated various cardiovascular and metabolic diseases.