Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis of human plasma in different psoriasis stages

Psoriasis vulgaris is a chronic autoimmune, inflammatory and proliferative skin disease. Recently, there is a need for new methods to detect and to monitor this dermatological syndrome at any stage. The application of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) should be as a new diagnostic method for psoriasis detection and monitoring using human plasma. We aimed to detect blood plasma components with DSC in psoriasis patients. The study included 18 white adults (eight men and ten women; median age 55.7 years) who had underwent a full skin examination for psoriasis. According to the psoriasis area severity index (PASI) we selected them into three groups: PASI: 0 (symptomless), PASI: 1–6 (minimal symptoms), PASI: >7 (symptoms). According to medical treatment human blood plasma samples were collected from healthy controls, patients without or with therapy, and were analyzed by DSC technique. In this preliminary study we observed that thermal changes (Tm, calorimetric enthalpy) in blood plasma showed closed correlation with psoriasis severity and medical treatment. Further studies are needed to elucidate these relationships, but our application of the DSC method has provided a potential new tool for the early diagnosis and monitoring of psoriasis patients.