Objectives To investigate the expression of TGF-?receptors and signaling protein SMADs mRNA in psoriatic lesional and nonlesional skin,and to analyze their role in the pathogenesis of psoriasis.Methods Expression of TGF-?receptorⅠ,TGF-?receptorⅡmRNA and different SMADs(SMAD2,3,4,6,7)mRNA was investigated by real time PCR method in lesional and nonlesional skin of13psoriatic patients and10normal controls.Results The mRNA expression of TGF-?receptors and all kinds of SMADs was significantly down-regulated in psoriatic lesional skin compared with normal skin con-trols(P0.05).Conclusions There is down-regulated TGF-?pathway in psoriatic lesional skin,which may further indicate that lack of TGF-?mediated growth inhibition might play an important role in the pathogenesis of psoriasis.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of anti-psoriatic drug fumaric acid esters (FAE) on the differentiation of dendritic cells (DC). METHODS: Dendritic cells were obtained by differentiating human monocytes in vitro. Flow cytometry was used to analyse the effect of FAE on cell surface expression of CD1a, CD14, CD40, CD80, CD86 and HLA-DR by monocyte-derived dendritic cells (MoDC). Mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR) was made to demonstrate the influence of FAE on T cell stimulatory activity of MoDC. RESULTS: Dimethylfumarate and methylhydrogenfumarate-calcium-salt (0.01 approximate, equals 100 mg/L) inhibited MoDC differentiation as well as reducing the capacity of MoDC to stimulate lymphocytic proliferation in MLR. CONCLUSION: The mode of action of FAE in pso riasis may be mediated by inhibition of DC differentiation.