IL-1 and IL-6 Cytokine Profiles Distinguish Between Psoriatic Arthritis and Cutaneous Psoriasis

Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and cutaneous psoriasis (PsO) exhibit different ex vivo cytokine production profiles, according to a recent study published in Frontiers in Immunology.

Researchers aimed to highlight potential differences between PsA and PsO by assessing the cytokine profiles of patients with PsA and PsO by ex vivo peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) stimulation.

A total of 37 patients with PsA and 11 with PsO were included in the study, along with 11 healthy subjects. The cytokine signature in patients with psoriatic disease (PsD) shows high levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFα) in supernatants of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated PBMCs, higher levels of IL-6, and increased spontaneous IL-1RA and TNFα production compared with healthy subjects. It also shows lower levels of IFN-γ and IL-17A after CD3-CD28 stimulation. In patients with peripheral PsA after CD3/CD28 stimulation, IL-1β and IL-1α production is higher than in healthy control individuals. When using LPS stimulation in patients with PsO, IL-1β and IL-6 production is higher than in healthy control individuals. Thus, PsA and PsO exhibit different ex vivo cytokine production profiles. Analyzing the IL-1 and IL-6 cytokine families is of interest for distinguishing PsA and PsO.

“Our study highlights the crucial role of immune cell interaction potentially involving soluble mediators and/or cell-cell contact with different patterns of interaction depending on clinical phenotype,” concluded the study authors. “Further studies should be performed to increase knowledge of the immunological mechanisms that underlie every subphenotype of PsD,” they added.

Reference
Larid G, Delwail A, Dalle T, et al. Ex vivo cytokine production in psoriatic disease: towards specific signatures in cutaneous psoriasis and peripheral psoriatic arthritis. Front Immunol. Published online November 8,2022. doi:10.3389/fimmu.2022.993363