Modification of osteopontin and MMP-9 levels in patients with psoriasis on anti-TNF-α therapy

Psoriasis is a chronic skin inflammatory disease in which a pleiotropic cytokine, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), plays a central role, as demonstrated by the clinical success of anti-TNF-alpha therapy. Among the multiple effects of TNF-alpha on keratinocytes, the induction of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), a collagenase implicated in joint inflammation, might be one of the key mechanisms in psoriasis pathogenesis. Interestingly, MMP-9 expression can be enhanced also by osteopontin (OPN), a glycosylated protein whose levels are increased in skin and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of psoriasis patients. The aim of the current study is to investigate the relationship between OPN, MMP-9 and TNF-alpha in psoriasis. Our survey identified high levels of both OPN and MMP-9 in PBMC as well as skin of psoriatic patients with respect to healthy controls. Significant reduction of OPN and MMP-9 levels in PBMC, plasma and lesional skin of psoriasis patients was observed after 24 weeks of anti-TNF-alpha therapy. Moreover, OPN and MMP-9 were enhanced by TNF-alpha and down-regulated by anti-TNF-alpha treatment in healthy PBMC. These findings may suggest that OPN and MMP-9 may be regulated by TNF-alpha, indicating a possible role in the pathogenesis of psoriasis.