Abstract

Psoriasis is an inflammatory papulosquamous skin disease associated with rapid epidermal proliferation, essentially a disorder of the immune system. Genes and immune events play a key role in the pathogenesis of psoriasis. Levels of arachidonic acid and of its metabolites, polyamines, plasminogen activator, calcium binding protein calmodulin, certain interleukins (IL-1, IL-2, IL-6 and IL-8) and growth factors (TNF-α and TGF α) are elevated. Plaque pattern, guttate pattern, local pustular psoriasis, scalp, nails, flexures, palms, napkin psoriasis, erythrodermic psoriasis are the common presentations. Various therapeutic strategies are available for the treatment of this disease. The disadvantages associated with these treatments have made them unsuitable for use. Research is being carried out to study the effectiveness of review vitamin D3 analogue i.e. calcipotriol in the management of psoriasis. This analogue has potent immunological properties and it acts by directly regulating keratinocyte proliferation and differentiation.