Serum vascular endothelial growth factor in Iranian patients with moderate-severe psoriasis before and after treatment: a PASI-75 response as a practical treatment goal

Background: Psoriasis is a chronic disease with multiple biochemical and vascular abnormalities. Several studies have evaluated circulating levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in psoriasis, but none of them evaluated it after reaching a PASI-75 response, as a practical treatment goal. The aim of this study was to evaluate serum levels of VEGF in moderate to severe psoriatic patients before and after treatment compared with healthy controls. Methods: This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences. Fifty-eight patients with moderate- severe psoriasis and 60 age-and gender-matched healthy controls were recruited to this study. Serum VEGF levels (pg/ml) of both groups were measured. We used Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) scoring to assess disease activity in patients. According to the disease severity, the patients received proper treatment. When they reached a PASI-75 response, serum VEGF levels were measured once more. Results: In our study, the median serum VEGF level was significantly higher in psoriatic patients (before and after treatment) as compared to healthy controls. Moreover, patients showed a significant reduction in their serum VEGF levels after reaching PASI-75. The median time of therapeutic effect (reaching a PASI- 75 response) was four months. Furthermore, our study showed a significant correlation between the serum VEGF level and age, BMI, PASI, and disease duration (P<0.05). Conclusion: A PASI-75 response is believed to be a non-invasive assessment tool for evaluation of the treatment response. Using the PASI-75 response for evaluation or prediction of the reduction of VEGF levels could provide further clinical benefits.