Pathophysiology
Arsenite impairs nucleotide excision repair, and it may also affect gene expression by increasing or decreasing DNA methylation. The high affinity of arsenic for sulfhydryl groups makes keratin-rich cells (e.g., epidermal keratinocytes) a sensitive target for arsenic-induced toxicity. Arsenic has been shown to alter epidermal keratinocyte differentiation processes, induce overexpression of growth factors, and enhance proliferation of human keratinocytes.
Read more about this topic: Arsenical Keratosis