Presence of selected metabolic syndrome components in patients with psoriasis vulgaris.

INTRODUCTION: Recent studies have suggested a strong association between psoriasis and obesity, dyslipidemia, hypertension, resistance to insulin and metabolic syndrome. AIM: To assess the prevalence of selected metabolic syndrome components in patients with psoriasis and the effect of the abnormalities on the disease activity. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Two hundred and forty-six patients diagnosed with psoriasis and 75 healthy individuals as controls were included in the study. Psoriasis activity was evaluated by the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI). RESULTS: There was a statistically significant difference in triglyceride concentration between psoriasis patients and controls (p = 0.00001), which was not found for high-density lipoprotein (HDL) concentration. Mean values of serum glucose level in patients with psoriasis were significantly higher than in controls (p = 0.046). Further statistical analysis of the obtained results showed significantly higher systolic blood pressure in the psoriasis patients than in the controls (p = 0.0001), but there was no statistically significant difference in diastolic blood pressure between the investigated groups (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Higher prevalence of metabolic syndrome components was observed in patients with psoriasis than in the general population.

Disturbed balance between serum levels of receptor tyrosine kinases Tie-1, Tie-2 and angiopoietins in systemic sclerosis.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine the characteristic factors for vascular development and maintenance levels as well as correlation between Tie-1 receptors, Tie-2 receptors and the corresponding ligands--angiopoietins--in systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Serum levels of Tie-1, Tie-2, Ang-1 and Ang-2 were measured in 25 SSc patients and healthy controls. RESULTS: There was a statistically significant difference in serum Tie-1 (p = 0.009) and Ang-2 (p = 0.001) levels in SSc patients compared with healthy controls. Significant correlations between Tie-1 and Tie-2 (ρ = 0.70, p = 0.0001) and between Tie-1 and Ang-2 (ρ = -0.92, p = 0.002) were found in the SSc group. Serum levels of Tie-2 were positively associated with esophagus changes (U = 2.03, p = 0.041) and Ang-1 was negatively correlated with duration of Raynaud's phenomenon (ρ = -0.75, p = 0.00008). CONCLUSION: The increase in serum concentration of Tie-1 and Ang-2 in patients with SSc may confirm a molecular imbalance between receptor tyrosine kinases Tie and their ligands.

[Pro-angiogenic cytokines in systemic sclerosis]. / Wybrane cytokiny proangiogennnew twardzinie ukladowej.

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a multifactorial connective tissue disease characterized by excessive and progressive fibrosis along with microvasculopathy due to poor vascular formation and repair. Despite a general increase in many potent angiogenic factors, the vasculopathy compensatory angiogenesis and vasculogenesis are impaired. In this review, we discuss the role of proangiogenic factors--VEGF, PlGF, endoglin, PDGF, endothelin-1, angiopoietins, SDF-1, uPAR--and the paradoxical paucity of an inadequate angiogenic response in SSc.

[Increased level of lipid peroxidation products and disturbances in oxidation-reduction balance in erythrocytes from patients suffering from systemic sclerosis, who are chronically treated with vitamin E]. / Zwiekszone stezenie produktów peroksydacji lipidów oraz zaburzenia aktywnosci enzymów antyoksydacyjnych w erytrocytach u chorych na twardzine ukladowa, przewlekle leczonych witamina E.

UNLABELLED: Systemic sclerosis is a chronic connective tissue disease of unknown pathogenesis. In view of the reports of essential role of oxidative stress in development of disease, trials with supportive care with vitamin E are undertaken. The aim of the study was to estimate parameters of oxidation-reduction balance in erythrocytes from scleroderma patients, who were chronically treated with vitamin E compared with healthy controls. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In the study there were included 14 women with systemic sclerosis (limited form - ISSc - n = 10, diffuse form - dSsc - n = 4, age 53.8 lat +/- 11.5), who were treated with vitamin E in dose 400 mg/day not shorter than in 6 months period and 23 healthy women (age 52.7 +/- 11.2) as a control group. The following measurements were done: hs CRP (immunoturbidimetic method), glutathione peroxidase activity (Gpx--method of Rice-Evans, 1991), superoxide dismutase activity (SOD--method of Misra, 1972), catalase activity (CAT--method of Aebi H, 1984), free thiol group concentration (SH--method of ElIman, 1959), level of lipid peroxidation products (TBARs--method of Stocks and Dormandy, 1971), total antioxidant capacity (TAC) depended of slow (TAC "slow") and fast (TAC "fast") antioxidants. RESULTS: . In both forms of systemic sclerosis significantly higher TBARs in comparison of healthy controls (5.81 +/- 1.57 vs 4.28 +/- 0.89 nM TBARS/gHb; p < 0.01) was observed. Patients with limited systemic sclerosis have significantly higher activity of Gpx (59.9 +/- 26.11 vs 32.19 +/- 11.67 U/mg Hb; p < 0.01), and no differences in activity of CAT and SOD. In patients with diffuse systemic sclerosis significantly lower activity of CAT (173.06 +/- 60.3 vs 284.47 +/- 43.33 U/mg Hb; p < 0.01) and SOD (2334.95 +/- 193.97 vs 3231.47 +/- 840.21 U/mg Hb; p < 0.05) was observed. There are no differences in TAC and SH between investigated groups. CONCLUSIONS: In scleroderma patients despite chronical treatment with vitamin E, oxidation-reduction balance disturbances are observed in the form of increased level of lipid peroxidation products. Besides, a lower activity of catalase and superoxide dysmutase in patients who suffer from diffuse form of systemic sclerosis is noted. Patients with limited systemic sclerosis have higher glutathione peroxidase activity.

Correlations between concentrations of interleukin (IL)-17A, IL-17B and IL-17F, and endothelial cells and proangiogenic cytokines in systemic lupus erythematosus patients.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease of multifactorial pathoaetiology. Different organs and blood vessels may be affected by chronic inflammation. A direct cause of the disease has not yet been found, so research is being carried out to this effect. The role of the recently identified helper T lymphocyte CD4+, described as Th17, and its dependent cytokines have been of particular interest. The aim of the study was to evaluate IL-17A, IL-17B, IL-17F and IL-23 in 60 SLE patients and 26 age-matched, healthy volunteers and also to investigate the correlation between levels of the investigated cytokines and VEGF, PIGF, as well as number of endothelial cells. IL-17A, IL-17B, IL-17BR and IL-17F levels were found to be higher in SLE patients than in the control group. However, only IL-17F levels showed a statistically significant correlation with the number of endothelial cells (aCEC) and disease activity. Correlations between levels of IL-17F and VEGF and PIGF as well as VEGF and IL-17A and IL-23 were statistically significant. Increased levels of the selected cytokines from the IL-17 family in SLE patients suggest a role for them not only in the inflammatory process but also in angiogenesis. This also highlights the role of IL-17F in activating vascular endothelial cells and consequently blood vessel formation, and in the relationship between the inflammatory reaction and angiogenesis in the development of SLE.