Assessment of serum levels of osteopontin, selenium and prolactin in patients with psoriasis compared with healthy controls, and their association with psoriasis severity

Summary Background The association between psoriasis and cardiovascular diseases is well documented, but the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. Overexpression of osteopontin (OPN) has been reported in the plasma of patients with psoriasis, with increased cardiovascular risk factors in these patients. Selenium compounds are effective in downregulating OPN expression. Objective We investigated the levels of OPN, selenium and prolactin (PRL) in psoriasis, and their association with metabolic status in patients to identify a possible link between these markers and observed comorbidities. Methods Plasma samples from 40 patients with psoriasis and 40 age‐ and sex‐matched healthy controls (HCs) were collected for ELISA. The clinical significance of plasma OPN, selenium and PRL levels in patients compared with controls was analysed in relation to metabolic disorders. Results There was no significant difference in median serum selenium levels between the two groups. Serum levels of PRL were not significantly different from those of HCs, but levels of OPN were significantly higher in patients with psoriasis than in HCs. Conclusions High plasma OPN is a predictor for occurrence of psoriasis. Our study showed that serum selenium and PRL were not decreased in patients with psoriasis, but there was a negative statistically significant correlation between OPN and selenium in all participants.