Immune shifts in inflammatory skin diseases.

Inflammatory skin diseases are driven by dominant immune programs, including T helper (Th)1, Th2, Th17, type I IFN, and neutrophilic pathways, which shape responsiveness to targeted immunotherapies. Molecular profiling has revealed that these diseases frequently harbor additional, coexisting immune programs and that dominance among pathways can shift over time, either spontaneously or in response to therapy. Such immune shifts, which limit therapeutic effectiveness, often occur in the absence of clinically evident morphological changes. In this review, we describe the molecular immune landscape of inflammatory skin diseases, with an emphasis on psoriasis and atopic dermatitis, and illustrate the immune shifts that underlie therapy-resistant disease states and paradoxical reactions. We propose a model of an immune continuum governed by a dynamic equilibrium among inflammatory pathways that is susceptible to displacement. Finally, we highlight molecular immune profiling as a critical tool for detecting such shifts and enabling rational therapeutic adaptation.

Abstract from PubMed