Q I am 38 years old and work in Dong-incheon. I heard psoriasis is caused by the immune system. Why is my immune system attacking my perfectly healthy skin?
A Psoriasis is an autoimmune disease in which activated T cells infiltrate the skin and secrete inflammatory substances like TNF and IL-17, causing abnormal proliferation of keratinocytes. Normal skin cells are replaced over about 28 days, but in psoriatic lesions that cycle is dramatically shortened to about 4 days, causing unshed scales to pile up and form silvery-white plaques. The core mechanism is that the immune system mistakenly identifies the skin itself as a target of attack, even without any external invader.
Detailed Answer
Psoriasis is not a simple skin problem; it is a chronic autoimmune disease caused by the immune system malfunctioning. When activated T cells flood into the skin and release cytokines like TNF and IL-17, the keratinocytes that receive this signal divide abnormally fast. The cell turnover cycle, normally about 28 days, is shortened to around 4 days, and unshed scales pile up thickly to appear as silvery-white plaques.
Korean Medicine Clinic Perspective
Dongjedang sees the root of psoriasis as blood-heat (血熱) and heat-toxin (熱毒) accumulated in the blood. Following the Korean medicine principle of "the lungs govern the skin and body hair (肺主皮毛)," we understand this as a state where the lung's energy is weakened or overheated, reducing the skin's defenses, and that this manifests as the T cell autoimmune overreaction. Therefore, rather than just suppressing the symptomatic area, we approach treatment by correcting the over-sensitized immune system and the circulation of heat itself.
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