The Assessment of Red Blood Cell Distribution Width, Platelet Parameters and Inflammatory Markers in Patients on Antıpsoriasis Therapy

Objective: Psoriasis is an inflammatory skin disease with several comorbidities. We aimed to evaluate red blood cell distribution width (RDW), platelet parameters and inflammatory markers in patients on antipsoriasis therapies. Materials and Methods: 94 psoriasis patients and 74 healthy controls were prospectively analyzed. Before and after 8 weeks of different therapies (calcipotriol+ clobetasol propionate; narrow-band UVB; combined narrow-band UVB and acitretin; infliximab and adalimumab), red blood cell distribution width, platelet parameters, high sensitivity C reactive protein, and erythrocyte sedimentation rate levels were measured. Lipid profile and fasting blood glucose tests were also performed prior the treatment. Psoriasis severity and area index and body mass index were calculated for each patient. Results: red blood cell distribution width, high sensitivity C reactive protein, triglyceride, total cholesterol levels and body mass index were higher in patients than in controls (p 0.05, for all four). No significant differences were observed in red blood cell distribution width, platelet parameters, high sensitivity C reactive protein and erythrocyte sedimentation rate levels after all therapies (p 0.05, for all). Red blood cell distribution width was not correlated with psoriasis severity and area index (p 0.05). The limitations of our study are the relatively small samples of therapy groups and short duration of follow-up. Conclusion: The role of antipsoriasis therapies on inflammatory markers should be elucidated via additional larger-scale studies. Red blood cell distribution width and high sensitivity C reactive protein might be useful to detect systemic inflammation in psoriasis