Co-occurrence of endometriosis with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis: Genetic insights (Review).

Overview

Immunological factors appear to play an important role in the development of endometriosis, as evidenced by the aberrant functioning of immune cells often observed in affected women. Although endometriosis is not classified as an autoimmune disease, individuals with the condition show a higher tendency to develop various autoimmune disorders as comorbidities. There appears to be a bidirectional association between laparoscopically confirmed endometriosis and diagnosed psoriasis (PS) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA). Endometriosis is a chronic, complex, estrogen-dependent and progressive gynecological disorder, characterized by the growth of endometrial tissue outside the uterine cavity. PS is an autoimmune, T-cell-mediated chronic inflammatory and proliferative skin disease, characterized by focal formation of inflamed, erythematous, raised plaques that shed scales derived from excessive growth of skin epithelial cells. PsA is a seronegative chronic inflammatory joint disease that is associated with PS, characterized by inflammatory changes in attachments of articular capsules, tendons, and ligaments to bone surface. The co-occurrence of endometriosis with PS and PsA raises some intriguing points regarding their possible shared genetic background. In the context of the present study, an extensive review of the current literature was conducted to identify shared genetics factors and shed light into the underlying pathogenetic mechanisms.