Role of certain immune-endocrine parameters in the pathogenesis of psoriatic arthritis

Psoriasis is a life-long chronic autoimmune disease characterized by thick scaly skin lesions and often associated with severe arthritis. At the present stage, psoriasis is considered to be a systemic disease that affects not only skin but also joints of patients and is accompanied by possible development of typical comorbid states (cardiovascular pathology, chronic inflammatory intestinal canal diseases, and metabolic syndrome). Objective — to improve the diagnosis of arthropathic psoriasis (AP) taking into account some of the most important indicators of the immune-endocrine system and features of the disease course to specify their role in the pathogenesis of the disease and to develop the system of integrated therapy. Materials and methods. A total of 178 AP patients have been systematically examined that had varying severity of process development, generalization and intensity of skin and osseous-articular apparatus damage, the presence of associated pathology. Additional instrumental studies, determination of biochemical, serological parameters and an assessment of stress-induced immune-endocrine system have been conducted in AP patients. The content of trigger cytokines (IL-1β, IL-8, IL-17, IL-22) in blood serum, stress hormones (ACTH, cortisol), cellular and humoral immunity condition (CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, CD16+, CD22+, IgM and IgG levels) have been studied. Results and discussion. The clinical course and characteristic features of AP instrumental tests are extremely versatile. Regardless of the disease duration period, we have detected in blood serum of AP patients probable decrease in parameters of cellular immunity (CD3+, CD4+, CD8+-fraction of T-lymphocytes, CD22+-fraction of B-lymphocytes) and compensatory increase in CD16+ of T-cells, decrease in parameters of cytokines (IL-1β, IL-8, IL- 17, IL-22), stress hormones (cortisol, immunoglobulins IgM, IgG, and CIC), which indicates tension of their stress-induced mechanisms even despite occasional clinical stabilization of skin and articular process.We have offered and tested regiments to treat AP patients, which involve differential application within the integrated therapy of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications (etoricoxib 30—60 mg 1 time daily/diclofenac 75 mg daily), disease-modifying medications (sulfasalazine ЕН from 500 mg to 2 g daily/methotrexate 7.5—10 mg/week), lyophilised dialysate of leukocytes. Conclusions. The analysis of specific features of the AP clinical course and data of integrated studies allows identifying the probability of manifestation or persistence of the pathological psoriatic articular process. The improvement of AP patients diagnostics taking into account some of the most important indicators of the immune-endocrine system and specifics of the disease course contributed to the improved therapy and mended quality of life of patients.