Comparative study of systemic inflammatory responses in psoriasis vulgaris and mild to moderate allergic contact dermatitis.

Background: Psoriasis vulgaris (PV) is associated with low-grade systemic inflammation.

Objective: Cytokines' and growth factors' serum patterns in patients with PV, allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) and healthy subjects were investigated to describe and compare systemic inflammatory responses in these diseases.

Methods: A total of 12 inflammation-sensitive biomarkers were analyzed simultaneously by means of the Evidence Investigator™ biochip technology.

Results: In PV, proinflammatory tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interferon (IFN)-γ, interleukins (IL)-1β, -2, -6, -8, and monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1 were elevated. In ACD, 2 markers, TNF-α and MCP-1, were increased, and regulatory cytokine IL-10 was decreased. Proinflammatory IL-2 had the strongest correlations with other pro- as well as anti-inflammatory cytokines in PV and ACD, whilst IL-6 correlated positively with the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index. Growth factors' levels correlated with MCP-1, but only in PV.

Conclusion: Although psoriasis induces a more variegated proinflammatory systemic response, ACD is likewise associated with a systemic increase in inflammatory mediators.