Lipid analysis of peripheral blood monocytes in psoriatic patients using Fourier-transform infrared microspectroscopy

In psoriasis vulgaris, there are immunological abnormalities of T cells and monocytes. We previously demonstrated that monocytes in the peripheral blood of patients with psoriasis vulgaris are activated and produce an excess of inflammatory cytokines. It has long been suggested that fat metabolism is impaired in patients with this illness. In addition, it has been reported that macrophages activated by engulfing low density lipoprotein (LDL) immune complexes release large quantities of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha and interleukin (IL)-1 beta. Hence we hypothesized that the monocytes of psoriatic patients are activated by engulfing lipids and overproduce inflammatory cytokines. Therefore we measured both the serum and monocyte levels of lipids in the peripheral blood of psoriatic patients. At the same time, we calculated the psoriasis area and severity index (PASI) scores and analyzed their correlations with the lipid kinetics. The results showed that the serum cholesterol ester level and the cholesterol ester level in monocytes of psoriatic patients were significantly higher than those in healthy individuals. However, the cholesterol ester level in monocytes of patients with hyperlipidemia was also high, and there was no correlation between cholesterol ester level in monocytes of psoriatics and PASI scores. The cholesterol ester level in the monocytes of psoriatic patients was high, but this does not seem to play an important role in the pathogenesis of psoriasis.