title: Serum neopterin as an objective marker of psoriatic disease activity.
abstract: Neopterin is a non-specific marker of the activation of cell-mediated immunity. Several studies have demonstrated the crucial role of CD4+ T cells in the pathogenesis of psoriasis. We have measured serum and urine neopterin levels and urine neopterin/creatinine ratios by radioimmunoassay in 24 patients with plaque-type psoriasis before and after a course of topical treatment with triamcinolone acetonide 0.1% and coal tar 4%. Results were compared with a group of 20 healthy, non-psoriatic volunteers. Serum neopterin levels were significantly elevated in the psoriatic group compared with the control group (p=0.001) and were significantly reduced after treatment (p=0.01). There was a correlation between pretreatment serum neopterin levels and psoriasis area and severity scores (PASI) (r=0.37, p=0.03) and also for pretreatment neopterin/creatinine ratios and PASI scores (r=0.45, p=0.01). These findings indicate that serum neopterin concentrations reflect disease activity in psoriasis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Hospital Sagrado Corazón, Teaching Unit of University of Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sánchez-Regaña
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Catasús
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Creus
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Umbert
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine; D003404:Creatinine / Q000652:urine; D005260:Female; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019798:Neopterin / Q000097:blood* / Q000652:urine; D011565:Psoriasis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D014222:Triamcinolone Acetonide / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D005938:Glucocorticoids; D019798:Neopterin; D003404:Creatinine; D014222:Triamcinolone Acetonide