Husni ME, et al. - In patients with psoriasis (PsO) and patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA), authors compared the activity of high-density lipoprotein (HDL)–associated paraoxonase 1 (PON1). They also assessed the correlation of PON1 activity with the extent of disease activity and severity of the cardiovascular disease (CVD) burden in these patients. Findings suggested a decrease in the PON1 activity in psoriatic diseases. In the PsA cohort, an association of decreases in arylesterase activity with increasing severity of joint disease and CVD burden was seen. As compared to paraoxonase activity, arylesterase activity was seen to serve as a more sensitive predictor of preexisting CV risk factors in the PsA cohort. Nonetheless, in the PsO population, this association was not seen.

Methods

• Researchers measured the serum levels of paraoxonase and arylesterase activity (both measures of PON1 function in humans) in patients with PsA (n = 198, 51.0% male) and patients with PsO (n = 145, 50.3% male) who were enrolled in a longitudinal psoriatic disease biorepository.
• They recorded the data on PsA disease activity (using the Disease Activity Score in 28 joints [DAS28], Clinical Disease Activity Index, and painful/swollen joint counts), preexistent CVD and CVD risk factors (including diabetes, dyslipidemia, hypertension, and smoking), Framingham Risk Scores for CVD, quality of life measures, and laboratory test findings (erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein level, and lipid profiles).

Results

• Findings suggested that in patients with PsO and patients with PsA, serum arylesterase activities were significantly lower (mean ± SD 111.1 ± 25.5 μmoles/minute/ml and 124.4 ± 33.4 μmoles/minute/ml, respectively) vs healthy controls (144.3 ± 33.4 μmoles/minute/ml) (each P < 0.001 vs healthy controls).
• Researchers noted a decrease in the serum arylesterase activity in parallel with increasing levels of disease activity (DAS28 scores,P=0.012), older age (P=0.013), higher body mass index (P=0.042), greater incidence of metabolic syndrome (P= 0.004) and hypertension (P=0.014), and worsening Framingham Risk Scores (P=0.001).
• Nonetheless, authors did not note any association between serum arylesterase activity and the extent of disease activity or CVD burden in patients with PsO.
• Both in patients with PsO and in patients with PsA, serum paraoxonase activity trended lower (eachP=0.073 vs healthy controls).
• However, serum paraoxonase activity and the extent of disease activity or CVD burden were not seen to correlate in either of the patient cohorts.