Increased production of vascular endothelial growth factor in the lesions of psoriasis –a new target for future therapy

Abstract EN

Background : Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease and it is associated with inappropriate vascular expansion within the superficial dermis.

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a multifunctional cytokine produced by epidermal keratinocytes and it is a powerful agent that causes hyper permeability of blood vessels as well as endothelial cell proliferation.

Recent investigations have revealed that production of VEGF increases in epidermis of psoriatic lesions, and the overproduced VEGF plays an important role in the pathogenesis of psoriasis.

Patients : Forty patients presented with psoriasis vulgaris.

Methods : In this study, we used immunohistochemical staining which confirmed an increased production of VEGF in the keratinocytes of psoriatic lesions.

Conclusion : There was an increased production of VEGF in the lesion of psoriasis suggesting a major role of VEGF on the altered structure of micro vessels in psoriatic lesions, which is an initiating event in the inflammatory process of psoriasis and can be a target for future therapy