Psoriasis assays

An inflammatory skin disorder, triggered or exacerbated by a number of genetic, environmental, or immunological factors. Characterised by hyperproliferation of keratinocytes, abnormal epidermal differentiation and infiltration of inflammatory cells Keratinocyte differentiation was assessed following treatment with calcium + serum, treatment with a cytokine cocktail, or as a consequence of reaching high confluence (untreated). The majority of untreated control cells differentiated by day 6. Differentiated cells could be readily identified by their large size and cobblestone morphology (white arrows).Treatment with a combination of calcium and serum caused the keratinocytes to rapidly differentiate (>24 hours), resulting in flattened, fibrous, skin-like morphology which was sustained throughout the 6 days of treatment. The cytokine-treated cells (exposed to TNF-α, Oncostatin-M and IL1-α) seemed to exbibit delayed, aberrant differentiation, which is one of the hallmarks of psoriasis. Black arrows highlight irregular filament formation visible only in cytokine treated cells.