Elevated Serum Levels of Tumor Necrosis Factor-Alpha Found in Patients With Psoriasis

Serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) are elevated in patients with psoriasis compared with healthy controls individuals, according to results from a recent study published in Materia Socio Medica.

Researchers aimed to evaluate serum levels of TNF-α in 60 patients with psoriasis compared with 20 healthy control patients and to assess the correlation between serum levels of TNF-α and psoriasis clinical type and severity. In the study, patients with psoriasis were divided into groups of chronic plaque psoriasis, erythrodermic psoriasis, pustular psoriasis, and psoriatic arthritis. Blood samples were collected from all participants and serum levels of TNF-α were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Chronic plaque psoriasis severity was measured using the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI).

Patients with psoriasis had serum TNF-α levels of 3.25+1.74 pg/mL, which was higher than the 0.20+0.01pg/mL serum TNF-α levels found in the control group. Pustular psoriasis patients had the highest TNF-α serum levels at 7.39+6.92 pg/mL. No correlation was found between TNF-α serum levels and PASI score in patients with chronic plaque psoriasis.

“The current study underscores the important role of TNF-α in the development of psoriasis and it suggests that TNF-α might be useful for clinical evaluation of psoriasis severity,” concluded the study authors.

Reference
Ovcina-Kurtovic N, Kasumagic-Halilovic E. Serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha in patients with psoriasis. Mater Sociomed. 2022;34(1):40-43. doi:10.5455/msm.2022.33.40-43