Clinical and molecular evaluation of cyclosporine A in psoriasis

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This small study evaluated the efficacy of Cyclosporine A (CsA) in patients with psoriasis.

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Background:
Psoriasis course involves increased secretion of pro‐inflammatory cytokines, among others, a beta transforming growth factor (TGFβs) and its receptors. Cyclosporine A (CsA), an immunosuppressive medicine with the molecular mechanism of operation connected with the properties of cell cycle suppression, is often used in the treatment of severe forms of psoriasis. The efficacy of therapy is assessed based on the disease clinical progression indexes – Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI), body surface area (BSA), and Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI). The aim of the study was the evaluation of the efficacy of the CsA treatment of patients with psoriasis vulgaris, based on the clinical parameters and an assessment of the expression profiles of TGFβs and TGFβRs, depending on the concurrent diabetes and metabolic syndrome.

Methods:
The group under study composed of 32 patients (15 with the metabolic syndrome, seven with diabetes) treated with CsA for 84 days. The molecular analysis included extraction of RNA, assessment of TGβF1‐3, TGFβRI‐III gene expression with the use of the RTqPCR method. The clinical assessment of the effects of this pharmacotherapy involved evaluation of the parameters: PASI, BSA, DLQI before therapy commencement, on the 42nd and 84th days of therapy.

Results:
A statistically significant change in the transcription activity of TGFβ1 in patients with and without diabetes (P = 0.018) and patients with and without metabolic syndrome (P = 0.023) was shown that on the 84th day of therapy.

Conclusions:
TGFb1 may be claimed as the supplementary molecular marker to evaluate the efficacy of CsA therapy. It seems that systemic diseases have an effect on the efficacy of the applied pharmacotherapy and the course of psoriasis.

Source: onlinelibrary.wiley.com

*Funding: Medical University of Silesia in Katowice/Poland