New research has identified eight plasma proteins associated with atopic dermatitis (AD), potentially opening new avenues for treatment.
Publishing in the Archives of Dermatological Research, the study authors used summary-data-based Mendelian Randomization (SMR) and evaluated data on 2,940 plasma proteins from the UK Biobank, as well as AD statistics from two major consortia (the Early Genetics and Epidemiology of Life Processes and FinnGen).
According to the researchers, two proteins (PVALB and TST) are associated with a reduced risk of AD, while six others (CA14, ECM1, IL22, IL6R, IL18R1, and MMP12) are linked with an increased risk. Of these, TST, IL22, and CA14 showed significant associations, which was confirmed through colocalization analysis. Phenome-Wide Association Studies (PheWAS) suggested these proteins are also implicated in other allergic diseases.
"The corresponding protein-coding genes are predominantly expressed in melanocytes, T cells, and macrophages in skin tissue," the authors added. "Importantly, these proteins were identified to be involved in cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction, Th17 cell differentiation, and the JAK-STAT signaling pathway. All of these proteins are druggable, and six of them show great potential as drug targets."
Source: Wu W, et al. Archives of Dermatological Research. 2024. Doi:10.1007/s00403-024-03262-z