Evaluation of ICAM-1 expression and vascular changes in the skin of patients with plaque, pustular, and erythrodermic psoriasis

Background Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disease. Pustular, erythrodermic, and extensive plaque psoriasis are responsible for systemic complications. Systemic capillary leak syndrome is the complication with greater progression to death and occurs due to vascular changes. Purpose The aim of this study was to evaluate vascular changes through the expression of CD34 and ICAM-1 in plaque, pustular, and erythrodermic psoriasis. Methods The sample consisted of seven patients with erythrodermic psoriasis, 24 with moderate-severe plaque psoriasis, 14 with mild plaque psoriasis and 13 with pustular psoriasis. Patients were submitted to physical examination and skin biopsy for histopathological examination and immunohistochemical analysis with anti-CD34 and anti-ICAM-1 antibodies. Subsequently, tissue fragments were organized by groups using the Tissue Macroarray (TMA) technique to perform immunohistochemistry. Results In 58 patients, analysis of vessels using anti-CD34 demonstrated vascular immunostaining in superficial dermis and between dermal papillae. There were more blood vessels in erythrodermic psoriasis, followed by plaque psoriasis. In erythrodermic psoriasis, there were small and few tortuous blood vessels with great dilatation, while plaque psoriasis presented larger vessels that were less dilated and more tortuous. There was an intense and localized expression of ICAM-1 in endothelial and lymphocytic cells in all groups, with significant differences. Conclusions Vascular alterations are important in psoriasis, with an increase in the number of blood vessels and ICAM-1 overexpression, especially in erythrodermic form. Therefore, vascular changes and the expression of intercellular adhesion molecules could help to diagnose the erythrodermic form of psoriasis.