Clinical Characteristics of Psoriasis for Initiation of Biologic Therapy: A Cluster Analysis

Hormone Replacement Therapy and Psoriasis Risk: A Nationwide Population-Based Cohort Study

BACKGROUND

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is used to relieve menopause symptoms, but has been reported to be associated with coronary heart disease and cancers in women. However, a link between HRT and psoriasis has yet to be established. The aim of this study was to determine the association between HRT and the risk of psoriasis.

METHODS

We executed a nationwide population-based study. A total of 1,130,741 post-menopause women were enrolled in the national health care insurance database based on the enrollment criteria. The study population was classified into four groups based on the duration of the HRT, and the risk of psoriasis was analyzed.

RESULTS

The incidence rates of psoriasis per 1,000 person-years were 3.36 and 4.09 in the no history of HRT and ≥ 5 years of HRT, respectively. After adjustment for age, smoking, alcohol intake, regular exercise, body mass index, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and dyslipidemia, the most prolonged duration of the HRT group (≥ 5 years) exhibited significantly increased risk of developing psoriasis (hazard ratio, 1.22; 95% confidence interval, 1.16-1.29).

CONCLUSION

We propose that HRT in post-menopausal women is associated with an increased likelihood of psoriasis development.

Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) Objectivisation by Flow Cytometry Analysis of Major Lymphocytes Subsets

Background

Psoriasis as an immune-mediated inflammatory skin disease. The basis of the pathogenesis of psoriasis is the dysregulation of immune cell function in genetically predisposed individuals. The characteristic dysfunction of the immune system in patients with psoriasis is manifested as a variation in the cellular phenotypic profile in accordance with the disease status.

Objective

The aim of this study was to evaluate the immunophenotypic profile of lymphocytes obtained by flow cytometry as an auxiliary diagnostic tool in the objectivization of the PASI score.

Methods

The study group included 40 patients with psoriasis, hospitalized and treated at Dermatology Clinic of Clinical center University of Sarajevo and 30 healthy individuals as controls. After venepunction, the blood samples for determining the immune profile were prepared following standard laboratory procedures using conjugated monoclonal antibodies and BD FACSCanto II flow cytometer. T-lymphocytes (CD3, CD4, CD8), B lymphocytes (CD19), Natural killer cells (NK), and activatet T-cells (CD3HLA) were determined for all patients. Based on the PASI score, the severity and area of the disease was assessed for all psoriasis patients by dermatology specialist.

Results

Our data shows no significant difference in any of the lymphocyte subpopulations between psoriasis patients and healthy controls, except CD3HLA. CD3HLA has higher values in patients with psoriasis, p=0.015. Of all the parameters, only NK cells were significantly correlated to the PASI score (rho -0.279; p=0.048). ROC curve analysis revealed a statistically significant difference for the proportion of CD3 lymphocytes (AUC 0.799; p=0.004), CD8 lymphocytes (AUC 0.733; p= 0.023), NK cells (AUC 0.722; p=0.008) and CD3HLA activated T lymphocytes (AUC 0.347; p=0.034).

Conclusion

Profile of major lymphocyte subsets in patients with psoriasis is similar to that of healthy controls. The values of CD3, CD8, NK, CD3HLA were defined as biomarkers capable of distinguishing psoriasis according to the severity of the disease. Immunophenotyping of peripheral blood lymphocytes can play an important role as an auxiliary diagnostic method in differentiating the clinical stages of psoriasis and objectifying the PASI score.