Background: Visfatin is one of the pro-inflammatory adipokines secreted by adipose tissue cells. Recent scientific research has drawn attention to the role of adipokines in the pathophysiology of metabolic disorders and their association with inflammatory diseases, including psoriasis. Visfatin may be one of the important links explaining the connection between psoriasis and diseases which are components of metabolic syndrome.
Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the serum visfatin concentration in patients with psoriasis and to evaluate its possible correlations with parameters of metabolic syndrome and the clinical severity of psoriasis.
Material and methods: A group of 102 patients with psoriasis and a control group of 40 healthy subjects were examined. The clinical severity of psoriasis was assessed according to Psoriasis Area and Severity Index), BSA (Body Surface Area) and DLQI (Dermatology Life Quality Index) indicators, the presence and type of obesity, and hypertension. In both the study and control groups, laboratory tests (C-reactive protein (CRP), glucose concentration, total cholesterol, low-density-lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, high-density-lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, and triglycerides (TG)) were performed and serum visfatin concentrations were determined. The clinical data, results of laboratory tests and visfatin concentrations were then subjected to statistical analysis.
Results: There was a significantly higher concentration of visfatin in the psoriatic patients (p < 0.001) than in the control group. Significant positive correlations between visfatin concentration and PASI (p = 0.008) and BSA (p = 0.007) were observed. In the psoriatic group, there were positive correlations between the concentrations of visfatin and the concentrations of CRP (p = 0.008) and total cholesterol (p = 0.002). Visfatin concentration was elevated in the psoriatic patients who had elevated total cholesterol (p = 0.001), LDL cholesterol (p = 0.012) and TG levels (p = 0.001) compared to the psoriatic patients with normal levels of these lipid profile components.
Conclusions: The results indicate the possible participation of visfatin in pathophysiological and inflammatory processes in the course of psoriasis. Adipokines may be an important link connecting psoriasis with coexisting metabolic disorders.
Keywords: metabolic syndrome; psoriasis; visfatin.