Metabolic Syndrome and Psoriasis: Pivotal Roles of Chronic Inflammation and Gut Microbiota

Abstract

In recent years, the incidence of metabolic syndrome (MS) has increased due to lifestyle-related factors in developed countries. MS represents a group of conditions that increase the risk of diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and other severe health problems. Low-grade chronic inflammation is now considered one of the key aspects of MS and could be defined as a new cardiovascular risk factor. Indeed, an increase in visceral adipose tissue, typical of obesity, contributes to the development of an inflammatory state, which, in turn, induces the production of several proinflammatory cytokines responsible for insulin resistance. Psoriasis is a chronic relapsing inflammatory skin disease and is characterized by the increased release of pro-inflammatory cytokines, which can contribute to different pathological conditions within the spectrum of MS. A link between metabolic disorders and Psoriasis has emerged from evidence indicating that weight loss obtained through healthy diets and exercise was able to improve the clinical course and therapeutic response of Psoriasis in patients with obesity or overweight patients and even prevent its occurrence. A key factor in this balance is the gut microbiota; it is an extremely dynamic system, and this makes its manipulation through diet possible via probiotic, prebiotic, and symbiotic compounds. Given this, the gut microbiota represents an additional therapeutic target that can improve metabolism in different clinical conditions.

Keywords: adipose tissue; inflammation; insulin resistance; metabolic syndrome; psoriasis.

Figure 1

Obesity is characterized by a chronic inflammation state that induces insulin resistance. The arrows pointing upwards indicate an increase, while the arrows pointing downwards indicate a decrease. Image created with BioRender.com.

Figure 2

Pleiotropic role of the gut microbiome in metabolic syndrome (MS) and Psoriasis. Image created with BioRender.