LIPOPROTEIN PEROXIDATION IN ADULT PSORIATIC PATIENTS

Psoriasis, a chronic inflammatory skin disease characterized by an abe rration of lipid metabolism, has been associated with an increased ris k for atherosclerosis. Since oxidatively modified lipoproteins are inv olved in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, we investigated the lipi d composition and in vitro induced peroxidation of very low density li poproteins (VLDL) and low density lipoproteins (LDL) from psoriatic pa tients. 11 male adult psoriatics and 16 male age-matched healthy subje cts were studied. Lipid peroxidation of VLDL and LDL mas performed by incubation with CuSO4 for 24 h at 37 degrees C. The compositional anal ysis showed a significant increase in tryglycerides and phospholipids, both in VLDL (p < 0.05) and in LDL (p < 0.001) from psoriatic patient s, compared with controls. Moreover a significant increase in total ch olesterol (TC) (p < 0.01) and apoprotein (P) (p < 0.05) was found in L DL from psoriatics. The levels of thiobarbituric acid reactive substan ces (TBARS), as a measurement of lipid peroxidation, mere significantl y higher in Ox-VLDL and in Ox-LDL from psoriatics (p < 0.01) than the corresponding values in controls. Moreover, basal values of TBARS mere significantly higher in VLDL and LDL from psoriatic patients than tho se from controls. In conclusion, the lipoprotein compositional changes associated with the modifications of TBARS before and after Cu2+ trea tment of Lipoproteins may suggest an increased risk for atherosclerosi s in adult psoriatic patients.