The Role of Visfatin/NAMPT in the Pathogenesis of Psoriasis

Psoriasis is a complex, chronic, immunologically, inflammatory, and environmentally mediated disease which may affect not only the skin, but also nails, and joints. This dermatosis is known for hyperproliferation, parakeratosis, dysregulated differentiation of keratinocytes, lack of granular layer of the skin and impaired apoptosis of keratinocytes. Methods Fifty patients with psoriasis and twenty-eight healthy individuals were enrolled in the study. Serum samples were collected both from the psoriatic patients and patients with an inguinal hernia, who served as the control group. Visfatin levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Various proteins have been well described as key contributors to the complex pathogenesis of psoriasis.

In our study, we found that serum visfatin levels were significantly higher in the psoriatic group compared to the control group. Interestingly, we observed a positive and statistically significant correlation between serum visfatin levels and HDL-C concentrations in patients with psoriasis.

An elevated HDL-C level in psoriatic serum might be a sign of a compensatory response to systemic inflammation, or a marker of metabolic dysfunction, or an early prognostic signal in disease progression. However, no significant correlations were found between visfatin levels and the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) score.

In summary, our findings indicate that visfatin levels are significantly altered in the serum of patients with psoriasis compared to the control group and it could be a pivotal point of understanding the pathogenesis of psoriasis and a new way of implementing therapeutic procedures.