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Abstract
The aim of the study was to assess plasma and scales levels of interleukin (IL) 18 collected from psoriatic patients with different disease activity. IL-18 concentrations were measured using an enzyme immunoassay in the plasma and scales of 34 patients with chronic plaque type psoriasis. IL-18 levels were analysed with respect to plasma-transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1), the disease duration and the duration of the present relapse, and psoriasis area and severity index (PASI). Plasma IL-18 concentration varied from 90 to 1300 pg ml−1 and means (368.2±42.4 pg ml−1) were significantly elevated in comparison with healthy controls (205.9±31.8 pg ml−1). The presence of IL-18 was also demonstrated in scales from skin lesions. Treatment caused a significant decrease of plasma IL-18 concentration to 250.2±13.8 pg ml−1. There was a significant correlation between plasma IL-18 levels and PASI values (r=0.554). There was no correlation between IL-18 concentration in scales and PASI, between IL-18 concentrations in plasma and scales, and between plasma IL-18 and the disease duration or duration of present relapse. Plasma TGF-β1 concentration demonstrated a significant correlation with PASI (r=0.353), but not with IL-18 levels in plasma (r=0.063) and scales (0.141). The sum of plasma levels of IL-18 and TGF-β1 divided by the optimal coefficient demonstrated a statistically significant correlation with the highest r-value. The findings confirm an association between plasma IL-18 concentration and psoriasis severity. Moreover, it was shown that combined measurement of IL-18 and TGF-β1 in plasma can be considered as a possible biomarker of psoriasis activity.