Serum TNF-alpha levels correlate with disease severity and are reduced by effective therapy in plaque-type psoriasis.
TNF-alpha is a pleiotropic cytokine possibly involved in the pathogenesis of psoriasis.


OBJECTIVE
to analyze the serum TNF-alpha levels in plaque-type psoriatic patients to evaluate the concentrations, correlation with the severity score and behaviour after therapy. The serum TNF-alpha levels of thirty-seven patients (25 females and 12 males; median age: 52.5 years, range 18-81: median PASI score: 11.4, range 3.5-42) and thirty healthy controls (21 females and 9 males, median age: 48.5 years, range 25-77) were compared after measurements obtained employing commercially available ELISA kits. The median serum TNF-alpha levels of the patients were significantly higher than those of controls (p = 0.004). 30/37 patients were followed over time at 2 and 4 weeks of treatment. Twenty one subjects were also observed after 6 weeks. After effective treatments, both the PASI scores and the cytokine levels were significantly and concomitantly reduced (p < 0.001). Significant correlations were found when the TNF-alpha values were plotted against the PASI scores both at the time of patient enrollment and at all the subsequent times (118 observations). A significant correlation was observed between circulating TNF-alpha and sE-selectin in agreement with a possible functional activity of the cytokine. However, no correlation was found between the cytokine levels and other 4 soluble membrane molecules. Our findings indicate that the molecule studied, although non specific for the disease considered, presents a behaviour paralleling that of the disease severity and therefore might have clinical usefulness, particularly in monitoring the therapeutic effects.
Mussi
A
A
Laboratory of Clinical Pathology, S.Gallicano Institute, Roma, Italy.
Bonifati
C
C
Carducci
M
M
D'Agosto
G
G
Pimpinelli
F
F
D'Urso
D
D
D'Auria
L
L
Fazio
M
M
Ameglio
F
F
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015415:Biomarkers; D016572:Cyclosporine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005050:Etretinate / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007641:Keratolytic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D011565:Psoriasis / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism
D015415:Biomarkers; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D007641:Keratolytic Agents; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D005050:Etretinate; D016572:Cyclosporine