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E-selectin is an adhesion molecule expressed on vascular endothelial cells in several inflammatory skin diseases, including psoriasis. It is responsible for the adherence between microvascular endothelium and neutrophils, monocytes, eosinophils and subsets of T cells. Soluble E-selectin (sE-selectin) serum levels were measured by ELISA in 32 psoriatic patients before treatment and compared with both post-treatment sE-selectin levels in 16 patients and sE-selectin values in 10 healthy individuals. Soluble E-selectin serum levels were significantly increased in psoriatic patients compared with healthy persons. Moreover, a significant correlation was demonstrated between sE-selectin values and PASI scores. No relationship was found between sE-selectin levels and duration of psoriasis. Soluble E-selectin serum levels decreased significantly after treatment of psoriasis. This phenomenon was more evident in patients with more severe psoriasis. In conclusion, sE-selectin serum levels correlate with the extent of psoriatic lesions and could be used as marker of the disease activity in psoriatic patients.

Actinic keratosis (AK) is the most common in situ cancerous skin lesion. Compared with other approved treatment modalities photodynamic therapy is preferred by patients due to faster recovery and improved cosmetic outcome. However, pain during irradiation is an important drawback. The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness and tolerability of topical aminolaevulinic acid-photodynamic therapy in the treatment of AK on the head using red and green light. Complete remissions after 3 sessions of photodynamic therapy at 2-week intervals following 9 months of observation were 91.67% for red light and 86.67% for green light (difference not significant). The mean pain value was significantly greater in areas irradiated with red light compared with green light for all 3 sessions. This comparative study demonstrates that aminolaevulinic acid-photodynamic therapy with green light is of similar efficacy as that with red light in the treatment of middle/moderate AK, but causes less pain.

Interleukin (IL)-7 is a multifunctional cytokine which is involved in the regulation of keratinocyte-T lymphocyte interactions; the latter is an important factor in the pathogenesis of psoriasis. In vitro, IL-7 is able to induce release of cytokines, including IL-6; IL-6 expression is known to be enhanced in psoriatic patients. Serum levels of IL-7 and IL-6 were measured by ELISA in 40 psoriatic patients and compared with cytokine levels in 18 healthy individuals. Serum levels of IL-7 were also evaluated in 24 psoriatic patients during the remission of the disease after effective treatment. The IL-7 and IL-6 serum levels were significantly higher in psoriatic patients than in healthy subjects and the IL-7 serum levels did not significantly decrease after treatment. Serum levels of IL-7 did not correlate with PASI scores; however, a significant positive relationship was observed between IL-6 levels and PASI scores. There was no correlation between increased levels of IL-7 and IL-6 in the sera of psoriatic patients, suggesting the lack of a direct link between these two cytokines in the psoriatic process. In conclusion, increased IL-7 serum levels suggest that IL-7, like IL-6, may be involved in the pathogenesis of psoriasis, but in contrast with IL-6, serum IL-7 levels could not be used as a marker of disease activity in psoriatic patients.