Is the Ratio of Antibodies Against Oxidized LDL to Oxidized LDL an Indicator of Cardiovascular Risk in Psoriasis?

OBJECTIVES Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease. Chronic inflammation results in increased oxidative stress and oxidizes lipoproteins, increasing their atherogenicity. This study sought to estimate the levels of oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) and antibodies against oxidized LDL (anti-ox-LDL) and compute the ratio of anti-ox-LDL/ox-LDL as a single composite parameter to assess the oxidative lipoprotein burden as an indicator of cardiovascular risk in patients with psoriasis. METHODS This cross-sectional study included 45 patients with psoriasis. All patients were given a psoriasis severity index score and their ox-LDL and anti-ox-LDL estimated using ELISA. RESULTS The results of this study show an elevation in the ratio of anti-ox-LDL to ox-LDL in patients with psoriasis, which initiate and perpetuate the pathogenesis of psoriasis and its comorbidity, atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that an elevated ratio of anti-ox-LDL/ox-LDL can serve as a composite parameter reflecting the total oxidative lipoprotein burden and cardiovascular risk in psoriasis patients.