An Overview of Growth Factors as the Potential Link between Psoriasis and Metabolic Syndrome.

Psoriasis is a chronic, complex, and immunologically mediated systemic disease that not only affects the skin, but also the joints and nails. It may coexist with various other disorders, such as depression, psoriatic arthritis, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus, and metabolic syndrome. In particular, the potential link between psoriasis and metabolic syndrome is an issue worthy of attention.

Crosstalk between Serum and Skin Sphingolipids in Psoriasis.

Psoriasis is a chronic, complex, immunological disorder, which may lead to many different systemic complications. Sphingolipids, including ceramide, are bioactive lipids, which take part in the regulation of immune reactions, cell growth, and apoptosis. Twenty psoriatic patients and twenty-eight control subjects were included in the study.

The Interplay between Bioactive Sphingolipids in the Psoriatic Skin and the Severity of the Disease.

Psoriasis is a complex chronic immunologically mediated disease that may involve skin, nails, and joints. It is characterized by hyperproliferation, deregulated differentiation, and impaired apoptosis of keratinocytes. Sphingolipids, namely ceramide, sphingosine-1-phosphate, sphingosine, sphingomyelin, and sphinganine-1-phosphate, are signal molecules that may regulate cell growth, immune reactions, and apoptosis.

Effects of Hypolipidemic Drugs on Psoriasis.

Psoriasis is a chronic, systematic, inflammatory disease in which multiple metabolic and immunologic disturbances lead to lipid abnormalities, impaired glucose tolerance, metabolic syndrome, diabetes mellitus, atherosclerosis, hypertension, ischemic heart disease, and numerous metabolic disorders. In clinical practice, the most commonly used drugs in the treatment of lipid abnormalities are statins and fibrates. Statins are characterized by pleiotropic effects such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticoagulant, and antiproliferative.

The Role of Sphingolipids in the Pathogenesis of Psoriasis.

Psoriasis is a complex, chronic, immunologically mediated disease which involves skin and joints. Psoriasis is commonly connected with numerous other diseases such as liver diseases, metabolic syndrome, impaired glucose tolerance, diabetes mellitus, atherosclerosis, hypertension, and ischemic heart disease. Interestingly, comorbidities of psoriasis are an attention-grabbing issue.

Cataract-linked serine mutations in the gap junction protein connexin50 expose a sorting signal that promotes its lysosomal degradation.

Many human connexin50 (Cx50) mutants have been linked to cataracts including two carboxyl terminus serine mutants that are known phosphorylation sites in the lens (Cx50S258F and Cx50S259Y). To examine the behavior of these mutants and the role of phosphorylation at these positions, we stably transfected HeLa cells with cataract-linked and phosphorylation-mimicking (Cx50S258D and Cx50S259D) Cx50 mutants. We observed that gap junctional plaques were rarely detected in Cx50S258F-expressing and Cx50S259Y-expressing cells compared with wild-type cells.

Cross-Talk Between Nitrosative Stress, Inflammation and Hypoxia-Inducible Factor in Patients with Adrenal Masses.

Background: Adrenal masses are the most common of all human tumors. The role of nitrosative stress and inflammation in cancer development has already been demonstrated. However, it is not known whether they are involved in the pathogenesis of adrenal tumors.

Lipid profile disturbances may predispose psoriatic patients to liver dysfunction.

Introduction: Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disease associated with metabolic disturbances and liver dysfunction. Both serum fatty acids (FA) and ceramides (Cer) have structural functions but also are signal molecules that could be involved in the pathogenesis of liver dysfunction.

Aim: To assess the concentration of the circulating FA and Cer in correlation with the alanine aminotransferase (ALT) blood level in psoriatic patients.

Antioxidant Barrier and Oxidative Damage to Proteins, Lipids, and DNA/RNA in Adrenal Tumor Patients.

This study is the first to assess redox balance, glutathione metabolism, and oxidative damage to RNA/DNA, proteins, and lipids in the plasma/serum and urine of patients with adrenal masses. The study included 70 patients with adrenal tumors divided into three subgroups: incidentaloma ( = 30), pheochromocytoma ( = 20), and Cushing's/Conn's adenoma ( = 20), as well as 60 healthy controls. Blood and urine samples were collected before elective endoscopic adrenalectomy.

Serum fatty acid binding protein 5 (FABP5) as a potential biomarker of inflammation in psoriasis.

Fatty acid binding protein 5 (FABP5) is elevated in psoriatic keratinocytes and could be involved in systemic metabolic disturbances in psoriasis. The aim of the study was to evaluate serum FABP5 in obese and non-obese psoriatic patients, to assess the relationship between FABP5 and the duration, severity of the disease, inflammatory and metabolic markers and influence of treatment with narrowband-ultraviolet B (NB-UVB). Seventy-four patients (30 treated with NB-UVB) with psoriasis were enrolled in the study.

Sirtuin 1 and Skin: Implications in Intrinsic and Extrinsic Aging-A Systematic Review.

Skin, as the outermost organ of the body, is constantly exposed to both intrinsic and extrinsic causative factors of aging. Intrinsic aging is related to compromised cellular proliferative capacity, and may be accelerated by harmful environmental influences with the greatest significance of ultraviolet radiation exposure, contributing not only to premature aging, but also to skin carcinogenesis. The overall skin cancer burden and steadily increasing global antiaging market provide an incentive for searching novel targets to improve skin resistance against external injury.

Bariatric Surgery Normalizes Protein Glycoxidation and Nitrosative Stress in Morbidly Obese Patients.

The results of recent studies indicate the key role of nitrosative stress and protein oxidative damage in the development of morbid obesity. Nevertheless, the effect of bariatric surgery on protein oxidation/glycation and nitrosative/nitrative stress is not yet known. This is the first study evaluating protein glycoxidation and protein nitrosative damage in morbidly obese patients before and after (one, three, six and twelve months) laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy.

The Impact of Hypertension and Metabolic Syndrome on Nitrosative Stress and Glutathione Metabolism in Patients with Morbid Obesity.

In this pathbreaking study, we evaluated nitrosative stress in morbidly obese patients with and without metabolic syndrome. 62 women with class 3 obesity (BMI > 40 kg/m) were divided into three subgroups: obese patients (OB), obese patients with hypertension (OB+HYP), and obese patients with metabolic syndrome (OB+MS). In comparison to the lean patients, OB had increased levels of serum myeloperoxidase (MPO), plasma nitric oxide (NO), S-nitrosothiols, and peroxynitrite (ONOO), as well as nitrotyrosine, while oxidized glutathione (GSSG) rose only in OB+HYP group.

Impact of Weight Loss on the Total Antioxidant/Oxidant Potential in Patients with Morbid Obesity-A Longitudinal Study.

The assessment of total antioxidant activity seems to have a higher diagnostic value than the evaluation of individual antioxidants separately. Therefore, this is the first study to assess the total antioxidant/oxidant status in morbidly obese patients undergoing bariatric surgery. The study involved 60 patients with Class 3 obesity (BMI > 40 kg/m) divided into two equal subgroups: morbidly obese patients without and with metabolic syndrome.

A Longitudinal Study of the Antioxidant Barrier and Oxidative Stress in Morbidly Obese Patients after Bariatric Surgery. Does the Metabolic Syndrome Affect the Redox Homeostasis of Obese People?

This is the first study to evaluate both the antioxidant barrier, glutathione metabolism, and oxidative damage to proteins and lipids in morbidly obese patients undergoing bariatric treatment. The study included 65 patients with class 3 obesity divided into two subgroups: morbidly obese patients without metabolic syndrome (OB) and obese patients with metabolic syndrome (OB + MS). Blood samples were collected before surgery as well as one, three, six, and twelve months after the bariatric treatment.

p62/Sequestosome 1 levels increase and phosphorylation is altered in Cx50D47A lenses, but deletion of p62/sequestosome 1 does not improve transparency.

Purpose: p62/Sequestosome 1 (p62) is a stress-induced protein that is involved in several different intracellular pathways, including regulation of aspects of protein degradation. p62 levels are elevated in several types of cataracts. We investigated whether levels of p62 and its phosphorylation were altered in the lenses of Cx50D47A mice, which express a mutant of connexin50 (Cx50) that leads to cataracts and impaired lens differentiation.

Serum sphingolipid level in psoriatic patients with obesity.

Introduction: Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disease associated with metabolic syndrome, including obesity. Ceramides (CER) and sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P), which belongs to sphingolipids, have both biological and structural functions in the human epidermis.

Aim: To evaluate serum concentrations of selected CER in psoriatic patients in different weight ranges, the impact of obesity on the concentration of circulating CERs, their association with the course of psoriasis and selected inflammatory markers.

Abnormal serum fatty acid profile in psoriatic arthritis.

Introduction: Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is a chronic inflammatory disease associated with higher risk of cardiovascular events and metabolic syndrome than psoriasis without arthritis. Fatty acids (FA) play an important role as signaling molecules in inflammatory and metabolic pathways. The aim of the study was to evaluate serum FA concentration in patients with PsA and to investigate the correlations of FA with the clinical and biochemical markers.

Adipocyte Fatty Acid-Binding Protein as a Novel Marker of Psoriasis and Clinical Response to Acitretin.

Psoriasis is a systemic disease associated with metabolic syndrome and cardiometabolic diseases. Adipocyte fatty acid-binding protein (A-FABP, FABP4) is a relevant mediator of lipid metabolism and several comorbidities development. Aim of the study was to explore the possible role of FABP4 in psoriasis and assess its relationship with disease activity, inflammation or metabolic disturbances, and impact of systemic treatment.

The implication of adipocyte ATP-binding cassette A1 and G1 transporters in metabolic complications of obesity.

Obesity is characterised by imbalance in lipid metabolism manifested by high concentrations of circulating triacylglycerols and total cholesterol as well as low high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels. Abnormalities related to these lipids lead to metabolic complications such as type 2 diabetes, arterial hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Despite extensive research, it is still unclear why a subset of obese subjects develop metabolic syndrome, while others do not.

Metabolic Syndrome is Associated with Ceramide Accumulation in Visceral Adipose Tissue of Women with Morbid Obesity.

Objective: Accelerated transmembrane transport of long-chain fatty acids dependent on fatty acid transporters is responsible for lipid accumulation and, eventually, the development of metabolic syndrome. This study determined the content of lipids (ceramide [CER], diacylglycerol [DAG], triacylglycerol, and free fatty acid [FFA]) and the expression of fatty acid translocase (FAT/CD36) and plasma membrane fatty acid-binding protein in visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and subcutaneous adipose tissue of women with morbid obesity without metabolic syndrome (MetSx-) or with metabolic syndrome (MetSx+) and compared the results with those of lean controls without metabolic syndrome.

Methods: Lipid content and fatty acid composition in each lipid subclass were estimated by gas liquid chromatography.

Interleukin-6 deficiency modifies the effect of high fat diet on myocardial expression of fatty acid transporters and myocardial lipids.

Chronic inflammation is a critical feature of obesity in the development of myocardial dysfunction. The observations that interleukin-6 (IL-6) is implicated in lipid and glucose homeostasis as well as its connection with the pathogenesis of insulin resistance might suggest the involvement of this cytokine in metabolic disorders of the failing heart. In the present study we aimed to assess the effects of IL-6 ablation in mice fed with normal and high fat diet on the myocardial expression of glucose and fatty acid transporting proteins, and to evaluate the paralleled alterations in lipid content.

Influence of narrowband ultraviolet B phototherapy on serum tumour necrosis factor-like weak inducer of apoptosis (TWEAK) in patients with psoriasis.

Psoriasis is characterized by keratinocyte resistance to apoptosis. We recently demonstrated an increase in serum tumour necrosis factor-like weak inducer of apoptosis (TWEAK) in patients after topical treatment for psoriasis. We decided to verify whether narrowband ultraviolet B (NB-UVB) has a similar effect.

Effect of psoriasis activity and topical treatment on plasma epidermal growth factor (EGF) and its soluble receptor (sEGFR).

Background: Pathogenesis of psoriasis involves epidermal growth factor (EGF) that participates in keratinocyte proliferation, angiogenesis and cell differentiation through binding to soluble epidermal growth factor receptor (sEGFR). It is synthesised by, among others, keratinocytes, especially within psoriatic skin.

Objective: To evaluate EGF and sEGFR plasma concentrations during topical psoriatic treatment.

Serum fatty acid profile in psoriasis and its comorbidity.

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease that is accompanied by metabolic disturbances and cardio-metabolic disorders. Fatty acids (FAs) might be a link between psoriasis and its comorbidity. The aim of the study was to evaluate serum concentrations of FAs and to investigate their association with the disease activity, markers of inflammation and possible involvement in psoriatic comorbidity: obesity, type 2 diabetes and hypertension.