title: The investigation of antimicrobial peptides expression and its related interaction with methotrexate treatment in patients with psoriasis vulgaris.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Psoriasis is a chronic, inflammatory and immune-mediated disease. Recently, the role of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) such as human beta defensins (hBDs) in the pathogenesis of psoriasis has been investigated. We aimed to evaluate the expression profiles of hBD-1 and hBD-2 in psoriatic skin before and after methotrexate (MTX) therapy and to compare healthy controls.
  
  
  METHODS
  Immunohistochemical expressions of hBD-1 and hBD-2 were assessed in 16 patients with psoriasis vulgaris and 20 normal skin biopsies from healthy controls. The patients were administered a 12 week of MTX and skin biopsy samples were obtained from the lesional skin of the patients pre-/posttreatment and normal body of the healthy controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median (range) Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) value was 21.6 (8.2-27.7) before the treatment whereas; 3.05 (1-23.4) after the treatment. hBD-1 expression in psoriasis patients was significantly higher as compared to the healthy controls before treatment (p < 0.01). No significant difference was observed between psoriasis patients and healthy controls in terms of hBD-2 expression before treatment (p > 0.05). No significant difference was observed between before-after MTX treatment in terms of hBD-1 and hBD-2 expression levels in psoriasis patients (p > 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest a role for hBD-1 in psoriasis pathogenesis. But MTX treatment does not affect on hBD-1 and hBD-2 expressions. Further studies are needed to assess the roles of these AMPs in psoriasis etiopathogenesis.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Dermatology , S.B.Istanbul Medeniyet University, School of Medicine, Goztepe Research and Training Hospital , Istanbul , Turkey.
authors.forename: Emin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ozlu
authors.affiliation: a Department of Dermatology , S.B.Istanbul Medeniyet University, School of Medicine, Goztepe Research and Training Hospital , Istanbul , Turkey.
authors.forename: Ayse Serap
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Karadag
authors.affiliation: b Department of Pathology , S.B.Istanbul Medeniyet University, School of Medicine, Goztepe Research and Training Hospital , Istanbul , Turkey.
authors.forename: Seyma
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ozkanli
authors.affiliation: c Department of Biology , Kirikkale University, School of Medicine , Kirikkale , Turkey , and.
authors.forename: Serpil
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Oguztuzun
authors.affiliation: a Department of Dermatology , S.B.Istanbul Medeniyet University, School of Medicine, Goztepe Research and Training Hospital , Istanbul , Turkey.
authors.forename: Ozge
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Akbulak
authors.affiliation: a Department of Dermatology , S.B.Istanbul Medeniyet University, School of Medicine, Goztepe Research and Training Hospital , Istanbul , Turkey.
authors.forename: Tugba Kevser
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Uzuncakmak
authors.affiliation: d Department of Dermatology , Kirikkale University, School of Medicine , Kirikkale , Turkey.
authors.forename: Serkan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Demirkan
authors.affiliation: a Department of Dermatology , S.B.Istanbul Medeniyet University, School of Medicine, Goztepe Research and Training Hospital , Istanbul , Turkey.
authors.forename: Necmettin
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Akdeniz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008727:Methotrexate / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008875:Middle Aged; D011565:Psoriasis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism*; D023083:beta-Defensins / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: C406407:DEFB1 protein, human; C106641:DEFB4A protein, human; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D023083:beta-Defensins; D008727:Methotrexate
keywords: Antimicrobial peptides; methotrexate; psoriasis