Polymorphisms in the TNF-alpha SNPs do not seem to be a more important genetic risk factor for psoriasis than the already known Cw*06 in Brazilian patients, but these markers may be related to clinical manifestations.

HLA-G is expressed in skin biopsies from patients with SSc, and this is associated with a better disease prognosis. This suggests a modulatory role of HLA-G in SSc, as observed in other skin disorders.

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EditorPsoriasis developing since birth is very rare. We described two cases of linear psoriasis in Brazilian children and HLA class I-associated alleles. Typing of patient HLA class I alleles was carried out in a peripheral blood sample by DNA/PCR/SSP molecular method. 1 A 10-year-old girl presented erythematous and scaly lesions since birth, first seen on her right foot with upward progression during the first year of life, as a linear plaque in her inner right thigh, extending to genitalia and glutei ( fig. 1). The diagnoses of linear lichen or inflammatory linear verrucous epidermal nevus (ILVEN) were proposed, and several therapy modalities were tried, with poor results. Two years later, the child presented new psoriasiform erythematous scaly plaques lesions on retroauricular region, neck, and trunk. A histopathologic examination of the linear lesion and the new lesions of the body displayed a psoriasiform dermatitis consistent with psoriasis vulgaris. The alleles found were HLA-A*02, HLA-B*08, HLA-B*35, HLA-Cw*07, and HLA-Cw*04.Another patient, a 15-year-old boy, presented a linear erythematous patch with silvery scales on the inner right thigh, since the first weeks of life ( fig. 2), with no response to topical treatments. When he was 9 years old, he pre-