Serum lipid profile in psoriatic patients: correlation between vascular adhesion protein 1 and lipoprotein (a)

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease characterized by excessive cellular replication. Apolipoproteins are genetically determined molecule whose role has been implied in cardiovascular pathology. Vascular adhesion protein-1 (VAP-1) is an adhesion molecule with an enzymatic activity that partakes in the migration process of lymphocytes into sites of inflammation. Our purpose was to evaluate the plasma lipid profiles, apolipoproteins (A1, B) and Lp (a) and VAP-1 in order to compare the lipid profile in psoriatic patients with non-affected persons and correlation between VAP-1 and Lp (a). We determined serum concentrations of lipids, lipoproteins , apolipoproteins and VAP-1 in 90 patients with psoriasis and 90 age matched controls. Serum Lp (a), apo A1 and apo B were measured by immunoprecipitation assays, and the lipids and lipoproteins were measured by enzymatic methods.The VAP-1 were measured by ELISA method. The mean levels of total cholesterol, LDL, apo B and VAP-1 in patients with psoriasis were found to be significantly higher than those of healthy subjects (P<0.05. In psoriatic patients, elevation of VAP-1 correlated with elevation of Lp (a) (p = 0.025). This study shows that high serum lipid level and VAP-1, is significantly more common in psoriasis. This fact may be responsible for higher prevalence of cardiovascular accident in psoriatic patients.