Lesional and Serum Levels of Fas Antigen and Nitric Oxide: Possible Relation to Disease Severity in

Journal of Pan-Arab League of Dermatologists
Vol. 19, No. 3, October 2008 Page 13- 21

Lesional and Serum Levels of Fas Antigen and Nitric Oxide: PossibleRelation to Disease Severity in Psoriasis

Dalia Abd El-Aziz*, Eman RH Hofny*, Hisham Z Abdel-Hafez*, Hafez RH Madkor** and Abdul Halim A Abdul
Halim***
Departments of Dermatology & Andrology*, Biochemistry***, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt
and Biochemistry**, Faculty of Pharmacy, Al-Azhar University, Assiut branch, Assiut, Egypt

Abstract

Background: Psoriasis is an inflammatory skindisease characterized by epidermal hyperplasiaand greatly acceleratedepidermal turnover.The blockage of normal apoptotic process in theepidermis is one of the factors implicated in thepathogenesis of psoriasis. Fas (Apo1/CD95) isone of the death receptors belonging to the TNFsuper family of receptors.Many studies suggestthat a soluble factor(s) mediates induction ofFas expression. The best candidate for this solublefactor isnitric oxide (NO).

Aims: To determine serum and lesional nitricoxide (NO) and Fas/Apo1 levels in patients withpsoriasis, tocorrelate these levels with severityof disease and compare them with those in normalindividuals.

Setting: Out patients’ clinic ofDepartment ofDermatology and Andrology, Assiut UniversityHospital, Assiut.

Design: Cross sectional comparative study.

Patients and Methods: Thirty patients with psoriasiswere selected after written consent. Allpatients on topical or systemictreatment for fifteendays prior to the study were excluded. Diseaseseverity was assessed by psoriasis areaand severity index(PASI) score. Serum and lesionalnitric oxide levels were detected byGreiss method, while serum and lesionalFas/Apo1levels were detected by ELISA, andlevels compared with fifteen age and sexmatched controls.

Results: Out of 30 patients,20 had chronic plaquepsoriasis, 7 had erythrodermic psoriasisand 3 had palmoplantar psoriasis. The meanNO level in theserum of the psoriatic groupwas higher than in the control group. The differencewas statistically significant (P <0.001).Lesional levels of NO were also significantlyhigher in psoriatic patients, P<0.05.Both serumand lesional levels of Fas/Apo1 of patients withpsoriasis, were significantly higher than controlgroup (P<0.001).Positive correlations were detectedbetween NOand Fas/Apo1 levels in bothserum and tissue, and between No levels in tissueand PASI score.

Conclusions: Both Fas/Apo1antigen and NOmay have a role in the pathogenesis of psoriasis.Only lesional levels of NO are related to theseverity of the disease.