CYTOKINE - ASSOCIATED PARAMETERS OF THE IMMUNE RESPONSE IN PSORIASIS AND THEIR CORRELATIONS WITH ALPHA - AND BETA - DIVERSITY OF THE GUT MICROBIOME.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between cytokine-associated immune response parameters in patients with psoriasis and indices of gut microbiome alpha- and beta-diversity.

METHODS

The study included 91 patients with mild-to-moderate psoriasis and 92 nominally healthy volunteers in the control group. Disease severity was assessed using the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI). Cytokine profiling was performed in fecal samples using multiplex analysis to evaluate a panel of inflammatory mediators, including IL-1α, IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, IL-12p70, IL-17, IFN-γ, and TNF-α. Gut microbiome composition was analyzed using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Microbial diversity was assessed using alpha-diversity indices (Shannon and Simpson) and beta-diversity measures (Bray-Curtis dissimilarity and principal coordinates analysis).

RESULTS

Elevated levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines were observed in patients with psoriasis, with the most pronounced increases in IL-12p70 and IL-1α. Significant positive correlations were identified between PASI scores and the levels of IL-4, IL-8, and EGF, indicating an association between immune markers and disease severity. Beta-diversity analysis suggested a trend toward differences in microbial community structure between groups; however, these findings were not confirmed by PERMANOVA. Additionally, differences in the relative abundance of specific bacterial taxa were observed.

CONCLUSIONS

Psoriasis is associated with both immune dysregulation and alterations in gut microbiota composition. The observed relationships between fecal cytokine levels, microbiome characteristics, and disease severity support the concept of the gut-skin axis and highlight the potential of the gut microbiome as a biomarker and therapeutic target in psoriasis.