Effects of Different Therapeutic Approaches on Redox Balance in Psoriatic Patients

Marija V Medovic; Vesna M Milicic; Ana B Ravic Nikolic; Gordana J Ristic; Rasa H Medovic; Marina R Nikolic; Aleksandra Z Stojanovic; Sergey B Bolevich; Natalia G Bondarchuk; Alexander A Gorbunov; Slobodanka L Mitrovic; Vladimir Lj Jakovljevic; Ivan M Srejovic

doi:10.3390/biomedicines12030587

Effects of Different Therapeutic Approaches on Redox Balance in Psoriatic Patients

Biomedicines. 2024 Mar 6;12(3):587. doi: 10.3390/biomedicines12030587.

Authors

Marija V Medovic^{1

2}, Vesna M Milicic^{1

2}, Ana B Ravic Nikolic^{1

2}, Gordana J Ristic^{1

2}, Rasa H Medovic^{2

3}, Marina R Nikolic^{4

5}, Aleksandra Z Stojanovic^{5

6}, Sergey B Bolevich⁷, Natalia G Bondarchuk⁸, Alexander A Gorbunov⁸, Slobodanka L Mitrovic⁹, Vladimir Lj Jakovljevic^{4

5

7}, Ivan M Srejovic^{4

5

8}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Dermatovenerology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Kragujevac, Svetozara Markovica 69, 34000 Kragujevac, Serbia.
² University Clinical Center Kragujevac, Zmaj Jovina 30, 34000 Kragujevac, Serbia.
³ Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Kragujevac, Svetozara Markovica 69, 34000 Kragujevac, Serbia.
⁴ Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Kragujevac, Svetozara Markovica 69, 34000 Kragujevac, Serbia.
⁵ Center of Excellence for the Study of Redox Balance in Cardiovascular and Metabolic Disorders, University of Kragujevac, Svetozara Markovica 69, 34000 Kragujevac, Serbia.
⁶ Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Kragujevac, Svetozara Markovica 69, 34000 Kragujevac, Serbia.
⁷ Department of Human Pathology, First Moscow State Medical University I.M. Sechenov, Trubetskaya Street 8, Str. 2, 119991 Moscow, Russia.
⁸ Department of Pharmacology, First Moscow State Medical University I.M. Sechenov, Trubetskaya Street 8, Str. 2, 119991 Moscow, Russia.
⁹ Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Kragujevac, Svetozara Markovica 69, 34000 Kragujevac, Serbia.

Abstract

Given that oxidative stress represents an important etiological factor in the pathogenesis of psoriasis, the aim of this study was to assess the effects of different therapeutic approaches, methotrexate, secukinumab, and ustekinumab on systemic oxidative stress biomarkers in psoriatic patients. This study involved 78 psoriatic patients, divided into the group treated with methotrexate (23 patients), secukinumab (28 patients), and ustekinumab (27 patients), and 15 healthy controls. Oxidative stress biomarkers (index of lipid peroxidation measured as TBARS, nitrites (NO₂^-), superoxide anion radical (O₂^-), and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂)) and antioxidative defense system (superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, catalase (CAT) activity, and reduced glutathione (GSH)) were determined spectrophotometrically from the blood before the initiation of therapy in 16th, 28th, and 52nd week. O₂^- and SOD showed the most prominent changes comparing the psoriatic patients and healthy controls. CAT activity was significantly lower in psoriatic patients, and methotrexate induced a further decline in CAT activity. Ustekinumab induced a significant increase in GSH level after 52 weeks of treatment, while methotrexate reduced GSH. All applied therapeutic options induced a reduction in PASI, BSA, DLQI, and EARP. Biological drugs exert more pronounced antioxidant effects compared to methotrexate, which is most clearly observed in the values of O₂^- and SOD.

Keywords: biologics; methotrexate; oxidative stress; psoriasis; secukinumab; ustekinumab.

Grants and funding

The project was supported by the Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Kragujevac (JP 27/20) and the Ministry of Science, Technical Development, and Innovation of the Republic of Serbia (contract No. 451-03-47/2023-01/200111).