title: [Apoptosis of psoriatic keratinocytes and the severity of patients' condition].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the correlation between the apoptosis of psoriatic keratinocytes (KCs) in the psoriatic lesions and patient's condition.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty patients with psoriasis were included. Activated caspase-3 was examined by colorimetric method in skin biopsy specimens. The apoptotic KCs were detected with terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay in skin biopsy specimens. The severities of 26 patients with psoriasis vulgaris (PV) were assessed using the PASI scoring system and the severities of psoriatic lesions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Apoptotic indexes (AI) were higher in the pustular psoriatic lesions than those in the vulgaris psoriatic lesions (P<0.05). In 26 patients with PV, AI and activated caspase-3 in the lesions were significantly higher in the progressive stage than those in the static and the regressive stages (P<0.05). There were no correlations between PASI and AI or the expression of activated caspase-3 in PV lesions (P>0.05). The severities of psoriatic lesions were positively correlated to AI or the expression of activated caspase-3 in PV lesions (P<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The amount of apoptotic KCs may be related to varied types, stages of psoriasis, and severities of psoriatic lesions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha 410013, China.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Jian-yun
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Zhao-hui
authors.initials: ZH
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Cheng-xin
authors.initials: CX
authors.lastname: Zuo
authors.forename: Jin-hua
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D017209:Apoptosis; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015603:Keratinocytes / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011565:Psoriasis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: C505407:CASP3 protein, human; D053148:Caspase 3