The Assessment of Selected Bone and Cartilage Biomarkers in Psoriatic Patients from Poland

BACKGROUND Psoriasis is an inflammatory disease in which joints involvement may be insidious and difficult to detect. Bone and cartilage biomarkers may be helpful in screening patients with psoriasis for psoriatic arthritis (PsA). OBJECTIVES To assess bone and cartilage serum biomarkers in psoriasis. Methods. The study was conducted in 2014 and included 61 psoriatic patients and 30 healthy individuals. In both groups, the serum concentrations of soluble receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand (sRANKL), cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP), osteoprotegerin (OPG), and interleukin-20 (IL-20) were examined. Severity of skin lesions was assessed by Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI), body surface area (BSA), and Physician Global Assessment (PGA) scores. RESULTS The duration of psoriasis was from 1 year to 45 years. 22 patients suffered from concomitant PsA. The mean value of PASI was 23.1 ± 12.0 and BSA was 27.6 ± 20.6%. COMP, OPG, and IL-20 concentrations in psoriatic patients were significantly higher than in the control group. OPG/sRANKL ratio was significantly lower in PsA patients than in psoriatic patients without arthritis. CONCLUSIONS Results of the conducted study suggest that COMP, OPG, IL-20, and OPG/sRANKL ratio may appear useful biomarkers of bone and cartilage involvement in psoriasis.