Is Sortilin an Indicator of Subclinical Atherosclerosis in Patients with Psoriasis?

Atherosclerosis and related cardiovascular events are quite common in patients with psoriasis. We aimed to evaluate the role of serum sortilin as a potential marker for subclinical atherosclerosis in psoriasis patients.

Serum levels of sortilin were measured by Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) in 33 psoriasis patients and 33 healthy controls. Waist circumference and body mass index were recorded for both groups; fasting plasma glucose (FPG), Homeostatic Model Assessment for Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR), serum lipid levels, and sortilin levels were also measured. Carotid and femoral intima-media thicknesses (CIMT, FIMT) were measured by ultrasonography (USG). Additionally, demographic characteristics, Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI), age of onset, total duration, and presence of nail involvement were documented for patients in the study.

The mean serum sortilin level was 6.20±3.11 ng/mL in the patient group and 7.82±4.97 ng/mL in the control group. No statistically significant difference was found between serum sortilin levels in both groups (p=0.729). There was no statistically significant relationship between serum sortilin levels and disease severity (p=0.597). The right and left CIMT values of the patients were significantly higher than those of the controls (p=0.012, p=0.020, respectively). There was no significant difference in FIMT values between the two groups. A statistically significant relationship was found between serum sortilin levels and right CIMT in patients (p=0.031).

The positive correlation between the level of sortilin and right CIMT in our patient group supports the notion that sortilin may be an indicator of subclinical atherosclerosis in psoriasis patients.