Severe psoriasis is a systemic inflammatory disease involving major arteries and internal organs. The association between psoriasis and arterial inflammation, however, has been noted mostly in patients with moderate to severe psoriasis. Therefore, it is still not clear whether mild psoriasis also increases the arterial inflammation and cardiovascular disease. In this study, we aimed to investigate systemic inflammation using 18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (FDG-PET/CT) in patients with mild psoriasis. In a nested case-control study, FDG-PET/CT findings of 10 patients with mild chronic plaque psoriasis involving a body surface area of less than 5% were compared with those of 10 age-and sex-matched healthy controls. The degree of FDG uptake in the large arteries (ascending aorta, aortic arch, descending aorta, suprarenal abdominal aorta and infrarenal abdominal aorta,) and liver were analyzed using the maximum target-to-background ratios (TBR). There were no significant demographic differences between the psoriasis patients and the control subjects (P > 0.05). Patients with psoriasis showed higher maximum TBR than healthy controls in all examined arterial segments, with statistical significance reached in the suprarenal abdominal aorta (P < 0.05), ascending thoracic aorta (P < 0.01) and infrarenal abdominal aorta (P < 0.05), and in the liver (P < 0.05). The "candy cane sign", which represents typical arterial inflammation of the thoracic aorta, was noted upon PET in the majority of psoriasis cases. In conclusion, mild psoriasis is also associated with arterial and hepatic inflammation, which can be readily demonstrated by using FDG-PET/CT.

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BackgroundThe clinical symptoms of facial and truncal acne differ. Skin surface acidity (pH), which is affected by sebum secretions, reflects the different clinical characteristics of the face and trunk. However, no studies have been conducted on truncal sebum production and skin pH.ObjectiveWe evaluated the differences and relationship between pH values of the face and trunk. We also evaluated the relationship between pH and the quantity of sebum produced in the trunk.MethodsA total of 35 female patients clinically diagnosed with truncal acne were included. We measured pH on the face and truncal area using the Skin-pH-Meter PH 905®. We measured truncal sebum secretions using the Sebumeter SM 815®. Statistical analysis was performed to evaluate the correlations and differences between pH and sebum.ResultsFacial pH was significantly higher than chest and back pH values. The correlation between pH on the trunk and the face was significant. We used linear regression equations to estimate truncal pH using only measured pH from the chin. There was no significant relationship between truncal sebum secretion and pH.ConclusionThis was the first study that evaluated the differences and correlations between facial and truncal pH. We found that facial pH can predict truncal pH. In addition, we conclude that differences in pH and sebum secretion between the face and trunk are one of the reasons for differences in acne symptom at those sites.