Elevated plasma osteopontin level is associated with occurrence of psoriasis and is an unfavorable cardiovascular risk factor in patients with psoriasis.
BACKGROUND
The association between psoriasis and cardiovascular diseases is well documented yet the underlying mechanisms remain elusive.


OBJECTIVE
We sought to study the role of circulating osteopontin (OPN) in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases in patients with psoriasis.


METHODS
Plasma samples from 40 patients with psoriasis and 37 control subjects were collected for enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. The clinical significance of OPN levels in patients with psoriasis versus control subjects was analyzed using the Mann-Whitney U test and logistic regression. DNA samples from 268 patients with psoriasis and 146 control subjects were collected for genotyping of the OPN gene.


RESULTS
Higher body mass index values (P = .047) and hypertension (odds ratio [OR] 2.68, P = .05) were observed in patients with psoriasis. Increased plasma OPN levels (>or=62.95 ng/mL) were significantly associated with psoriasis (OR 6.24, P = .001), hypertension (OR 3.05, P = .03), and diabetes mellitus (OR 3.13, P = .05). Occurrence of psoriasis (OR 5.12, P = .003) appeared to be the single independent risk factor for high plasma OPN values after multivariate logistic regression. Among patients with psoriasis, increased plasma OPN values were associated with the presence of hypertension (OR 4.69, P = .05). However, no significantly different allelic distributions of single nucleotide polymorphisms of the OPN gene were found between psoriasis and control groups.


CONCLUSIONS
The number of patients evaluated was relatively small.


CONCLUSIONS
High plasma OPN levels are an unfavorable factor for development of cardiovascular disease in patients with psoriasis.
Chen
Yi-Ju
YJ
Department of Dermatology, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.
Shen
Jui-Lung
JL
Wu
Chun-Ying
CY
Chang
Yun-Ting
YT
Chen
Chuan-Mu
CM
Lee
Fang-Yi
FY
D017677:Age Distribution; D003925:Diabetic Angiopathies / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics; D050171:Dyslipidemias / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000453:epidemiology; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics; D008264:Macrophages / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics; D008875:Middle Aged; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics; D053495:Osteopontin / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D011565:Psoriasis / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics; D012307:Risk Factors
D053495:Osteopontin