THE LEVELS OF TRANSFORMING GROWTH-FACTOR-BETA-1 ARE INCREASED IN THE SERUM OF PATIENTS WITH PSORIASIS AND CORRELATE WITH DISEASE SEVERITY

The serum transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-beta 1), the soluble intercellular adhesion molecule (sICAM-1), the soluble E-selectin (sE- selectin), the soluble L-selectin (sL-selectin) and the interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra) levels were determined in 15 samples of p soriatic serum using commercially available ELISA kits. The median ser um TGF-beta 1 levels were significantly increased as compared to the 2 1 healthy subjects and a significant correlation with the PASI scores was observed, suggesting an involvement of this cytokine in the pathog enic mechanisms of plaque-type psoriasis. Despite 4 weeks of effective therapy and a subsequent drop in the PASI scores, no significant TGF- beta 1 modifications were observed in the treated patients, suggesting a persistence of the raised levels of this molecule in the blood. Thi s has been previously shown for other molecules, suggesting a time dis sociation between TGF-beta 1 metabolism and recovery. Significant corr elations were found with the serum TGF-beta 1, sICAM-1, sE-selectin, s L-selectin and IL-1Ra levels, whose interrelationships with TGF-beta 1 have been previously reported in the literature. This indirectly sugg ests that the amounts of serum TGF-beta 1, although altered, are biolo gically coordinated and may be active, exerting functions known to be TGF-beta 1-dependent such as monocyte stimulation, neoangiogenesis and fibroblast activation.