H. A. and Edna Benning Presidential Endowment

Gerald G. Krueger, M.D.

Professor of Dermatology
30 North 1900 East RM 4B454
CAMPUS
(801) 581-6465
Email: gerald.krueger@hsc.utah.edu
Read more about Dr. Krueger

Psoriasis is a disease that afflicts about 2.5% of the population of the U.S.  Key observations on the pathogenesis of psoriasis by myself in the late 70's led to a clinical research career that has been dedicated to the many aspects of psoriasis, basic research to clinical trials.  For nearly 200 years it has been known that psoriasis has a very strong genetic basis.  For over 30 years it has been known that there is a locus on chromosome 6 that is linked to over 50% of patients with psoriasis.  Despite the many advances in identifying genes that cause disease we do not know how the locus on chromosome 6 leads to disease.  Additional research and genome wide scans have identified at least 8 other sites that harbor loci that contribute to susceptibility.  Over the years I have become increasingly fascinated by the many clinical variations that present in patients with psoriasis.  Examples include psoriasis on elbows and knees vs. others with psoriasis in body folds, presence vs. absence of psoriasis of the nails associated vs. not associated with psoriatic arthritis, thin vs. thick plaque disease in the untreated state, etc.

Existing dogma suggests that the clinical variations of psoriasis are likely driven by specific genes and gene-sets.  To generate insight into what should be phenotype/genotype associations we decided to collect a cohort of patients with psoriasis and record the many characteristics that typify their psoriasis.  This culminated in the generation of the Utah Psoriasis Intiative (UPI) in 2003.  To date we have enrolled nearly 900 subjects in the UPI.  Standardized entry data and exam as well as DNA have been collected on all subjects.  Data from historical and physical phenotype observations made on those enrolled in the UPI are being used to test the hypothesis that clinical statification of psoriasis (Ps) by phenotype and by family association will enhance identification of genetic factors important for the disease.