Soluble biomarkers in psoriasis

Psoriasis is a common, chronic, recurrent skin disorder, characterized by keratinocyte proliferation, T-cell activation and angiogenesis. The results of various clinical and experimental studies indicate that psoriasis is a complex, multifactorial disease with a genetic predisposition. During the past few years, many studies related to psoriasis biomarkers have been conducted. Biomarkers can relate to diagnosis, pathogenesis, prognosis, or therapeutic response. They could provide insight into disease susceptibility and natural history. The identification of biomarkers related to co-morbidities in psoriasis, such as arthritis, cardiovascular disease and the metabolic syndrome, has attracted special interest. This review presents current knowledge of soluble biomarkers in psoriasis, including cytokines, chemokines, pro-angiogenic mediators, growth factors, antimicrobial proteins, neuropeptides and markers of oxidative stress.