Anti-tumor necrosis factor-alfa and psoriasis : new insights on keratinocyte differentiation markers

Tumor necrosis factor-alfa (TNF-α) is a cytokine that plays a central role in the pathogenesis of psoriasis; the treatment with anti–TNF-α agents, as etanercept, has proved to be highly effective although its mechanism on the overall epidermal cytoarchitecture has still to be elucidated. The aim of the present study was to investigate if etanercept treatment of psoriatic patients could affect the expression of the main biomarkers of keratinocyte terminal differentiation (TD) along with epithelial cell proliferation.