HcRed Background Information
HCR (Coiled-coil alpha-helical rod protein 1, Putative gene 8 protein) is a 782 amino acid protein that is encoded by human gene CCHCR1. HCR is believed to be a regulator of keratinocyte proliferation or differentiation. HCR is a nuclear protein abundantly expressed in heart, liver, skeletal muscle, kidney and pancreas, and to a lesser extent in lung and placenta. HCR is overexpressed in keratinocytes of psoriatic lesions. HCR is associated with susceptibility to psoriasis. Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory dermatosis that affects approximately 2% of the population. It is a multifactorial disease characterized by red, scaly skin lesions that are usually found on the scalp, elbows, and knees, and may be associated with severe arthritis. The lesions are caused by hyperproliferative keratinocytes and infiltration of inflammatory cells into the dermis and epidermis. The usual age of onset of psoriasis is between 15 and 30 years, although it can present at any age. Association of HCR with psoriasis seem to be due to linkage disequilibrium with CW*0602, however, HCR is unlikely to be directly involved in psoriasis development.
