inflammation could explain stomach problems

Red lesions, plaques and scales: psoriasis is a chronic skin disease. It can have a significant impact on self-esteem and quality of life. But research has also revealed that it may be linked to gastrointestinal health. According to a new study, carried out by researchers at Sweden’s Uppsala University, people with the disease are more likely to suffer from gastrointestinal problems due to the inflammation caused by the disease. Their results appeared in the specialized journal Biochemistry and Biophysics Acta (BBA) – Molecular Basis of Disease.

Psoriasis: inflammation affects the skin and intestines

“Previous research has shown that people with psoriasis have more gastrointestinal problems than the general population, explains Maria Lampinen, researcher at Uppsala University. However, we did not know much about the reasons for this phenomenon.” To understand this, the Swedish scientist and her team recruited 33 people, 15 of whom had psoriasis. None of the participants had been diagnosed with a gastrointestinal disease.

Swedish scientists took different samples to observe the immune cells. “People with psoriasis were found to have higher numbers of certain types of immune cells in their small intestine, and these cells showed signs of pro-inflammatory activity, develops the specialist. Interestingly, we found the same type of immune cells in the skin flare-ups of psoriasis patients, suggesting that inflammation in the skin may impact the gut, or vice versa.”

Psoriasis and its barely visible effects on the intestines

The researchers also found that half of the patients with psoriasis had “increased permeability of the intestinal barrier” also called leaky gut. The term refers to cases where the intestinal mucosa no longer plays its protective role, leading to bacteria and various substances leaking through the intestinal barrier and causing inflammation. “These same patients also reported more gastrointestinal symptoms such as abdominal pain and bloating than patients with a normal intestinal barrier.continue the authors. They also had high levels of inflammatory substances in their intestines.” These different patients all suffered from a mild form of psoriasis and had no intestinal inflammation visible by gastroscopy. For the authors, the changes observed in this study could explain why people with psoriasis often have gastrointestinal problems and an increased risk of developing Crohn’s disease.