Biomarkers of subclinical atherosclerosis in patients with psoriasis

• Published in: Scientific reports Vol. 11; no. 1; p. 21438
• Main Authors: Kaiser, Hannah, Wang, Xing, Kvist-Hansen, Amanda, Krakauer, Martin, Gørtz, Peter Michael, McCauley, Benjamin D., Skov, Lone, Becker, Christine, Hansen, Peter Riis
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 02.11.2021; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 692/308/53; 692/4019; 692/699/4033; Aorta; Apoptosis; Arteriosclerosis; Atherosclerosis; Atherosclerosis - diagnosis; Atherosclerosis - etiology; Biomarkers; Biomarkers - analysis; Calcification (ectopic); Cardiovascular diseases; Cardiovascular Diseases - diagnosis; Cardiovascular Diseases - etiology; Carotid Arteries - pathology; Carotid artery; Computed tomography; Coronary artery; Coronary vessels; Female; Health risks; Humanities and Social Sciences; Humans; Inflammation; Leukocytes (neutrophilic); Ligands; Lymphocytes; Lymphocytes - pathology; Male; Middle Aged; multidisciplinary; Neutrophils - pathology; Patients; Plaques; Positron emission tomography; Psoriasis; Psoriasis - complications; Risk Factors; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Skin diseases; Statins; TRAIL protein; TRANCE protein; Tumor necrosis factor; Tumor necrosis factor-TNF; Veins & arteries
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-00999-9

Psoriasis is linked with increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) that is underestimated by traditional risk stratification. We conducted a large-scale plasma proteomic analysis by use of a proximity extension assay in 85 patients with a history of moderate-to-severe psoriasis with or without established atherosclerotic CVD. Differentially expressed proteins associated with CVD were correlated with subclinical atherosclerotic markers including vascular inflammation determined by 18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography, carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT), carotid artery plaques, and coronary artery calcium score (CCS) in the patients without CVD and statin treatment. We also examined the association between the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and subclinical atherosclerosis. In unadjusted analyses, growth differentiation factor-15 (GDF-15) levels and NLR were increased, while tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-related activation-inducing ligand (TRANCE) and TNF-related apoptosis-induced ligand (TRAIL) levels were decreased in patients with established CVD compared to those without CVD. Among patients with psoriasis without CVD and statin treatment, GDF-15 levels were negatively associated with vascular inflammation in the ascending aorta and entire aorta, and positively associated with CIMT and CCS. NLR was positively associated with vascular inflammation in the carotid arteries. Our data suggest that circulating GDF-15 levels and NLR might serve as biomarkers of subclinical atherosclerosis in patients with psoriasis.