Biomarkers of Extracellular Matrix Fragments in Patients with Psoriasis

• Published in: International journal of molecular sciences Vol. 26; no. 1; p. 261
• Main Authors: Johansen, Mila Broby, Nielsen, Signe Holm, Port, Helena, Todberg, Tanja, Løvendorf, Marianne Bengtson, Skov, Lone
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 01.01.2025; MDPI
• Subjects: Adalimumab; Adalimumab - therapeutic use; Adult; Arthritis; Biological markers; Biomarkers; Biomarkers - blood; Care and treatment; Case-Control Studies; Collagen; Dermatologic agents; Dermatology; Disease; Enzymes; Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid; Extracellular matrix; Extracellular Matrix - metabolism; Female; Fibroblasts; Formulae, receipts, prescriptions; Humans; Male; Medical research; Medicine, Experimental; Microbiota; Middle Aged; Monoclonal antibodies; Neutrophils; Pathogenesis; Peptides; Psoriasis; Psoriasis - blood; Psoriasis - diagnosis; Psoriasis - drug therapy; Psoriasis - metabolism; Psoriatic arthritis; Denmark; autoimmune skin disease; molecular pathology; skin pathology; biomarkers; treatment response; ECM
• ISSN: 1422-0067; 1661-6596; 1422-0067
• DOI: 10.3390/ijms26010261

Blood-based extracellular matrix (ECM) fragments have been identified as potential pharmacologic biomarkers in spondyloarthritis and diagnostic biomarkers in psoriatic arthritis and psoriasis vulgaris. This study aimed to explore whether ECM fragments can differentiate patients with psoriasis from healthy controls (HC) and determine their potential as biomarkers for response to treatment in psoriasis. The study population included 59 patients with moderate to severe psoriasis, not receiving systemic anti-psoriatic treatment at inclusion, and 52 HC matched by age, sex, and BMI. An EDTA plasma sample was taken from all subjects at inclusion. Nine patients with psoriasis who initiated treatment with adalimumab after inclusion and responded successfully had an additional EDTA plasma sample taken after three to six months. Twelve ECM fragments were measured using validated ELISAs and Immunodiagnostic Systems automated chemiluminescent assays. C4M, indicating collagen IV degradation, PRO-C3, indicating tissue fibrosis, and PRO-C4, indicating epidermal basement membrane turnover showed significantly elevated levels in psoriasis patients compared with HC (p = 0.005, p = 0.016, and p = 0.018, respectively). Despite successful treatment, adalimumab did not alter C4M, PRO-C3, or PRO-C4 levels. In conclusion, compared with controls, C4M, PRO-C3, and PRO-C4 were elevated in psoriasispatients, but treatment did not modulate these fragments.