Somatotrophin axis hormones in patients affected with psoriasis.

OBJECTIVES: The serum concentrations of somatotrophin axis hormones (growth hormone--GH, insulin-like growth factor-I--IGF-I and insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3--IGFBP-3) in the patients with psoriasis in its active stage have been evaluated in relation to the control group consisting of healthy people in order to see whether these hormones may play a role in the psoriasis aetiopathogenesis.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: The subjects included 85 psoriatic patients (mean age 36.9 +/- 11.2 years) in the active state of disease and 20 healthy persons (mean age 35.6 +/- 6.6 years) as a control group. GH and IGFBP-3 concentrations in serum were determined by immunoradiometric assay (IRMA), IGF-I concentrations--by radioimmunological assay (RIA). Evaluation of the dermatological state also included a determination of psoriasis area and severity index (PASI).

RESULTS: In the patients with psoriasis the concentration of the growth hormone was found to be significantly higher than in the healthy people at the simultaneously much lower concentrations of the insulin-like growth factor-I and its binding protein-3. IGF-I concentrations correlated negatively to PASI value.

CONCLUSION: In the psoriatic patients the somatotrophin axis activity is disturbed and these disturbances may effect the psoriasis process modulation. However, it is impossible to determine if the disturbances are of the primary, i.e. aetiological, importance for the disease pathogenesis, or only of the secondary--psoroid character.