Fibrinogen-Like Protein 1 as a Novel Biomarker of Psoriasis Severity

Abstract

Background Psoriasis is an immune-mediated chronic systemic inflammatory skin disease whose diagnosis and severity assessment pose challenges for clinicians worldwide. The use of serum biomarkers facilitates the early diagnosis and treatment of psoriasis. Methods This case–control study compared tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-6, IL-17, IL-10, and fibrinogen-like protein 1 (FGL1) levels of 139 untreated psoriasis patients and 140 healthy controls. Serum samples were collected, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays were performed to quantify their levels. Subgroups were analyzed according to abnormal lipid metabolism status. Results Compared to controls, patients with psoriasis exhibited lower concentrations of serum TNF-α, IL-17, and FGL1 ( P < 0.05). A correlation analysis showed that FGL1 was inversely correlated with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and IL-17 in the psoriatic state. Stepwise multiple regression analysis revealed that FGL1 and total cholesterol were the independent determinants of Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) score in psoriasis patients. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of FGL1 assessing moderate-to-severe psoriasis and mild psoriasis was 0.70, while the area under the curve (AUC) assessing severe psoriasis and mild-to-moderate psoriasis was 0.67, better than that of IL-17. In addition, FGL1, but not IL-17, was able to identify psoriasis with abnormal lipid metabolism to a certain extent (AUC = 0.60). Conclusion In conclusion, serum FGL1 may be a promising biomarker for diagnosing and staging psoriasis. It may also be involved in its progression and comorbid abnormal lipid metabolism.

Systematic review and bioinformatics analysis of plasma and serum extracellular vesicles proteome in type 2 diabetes

“…This protein is detected as an acute reactant in plasma, influenced by metabolic factors like hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia, suggesting its potential involvement in other tissues [ 64 , 65 ]. Furthermore, plasma levels of FGL1 are regarded as potential biomarkers for several acute inflammatory, infectious, and autoimmune diseases [ 66 , 67 ].…”

Xue-Jie-San restricts ferroptosis in Crohn’s disease via inhibiting FGL1/NF-κB/STAT3 positive feedback loop

“…Elevated FGL1 expression is positively correlated with the severity of acute pancreatitis, the disease activity of rheumatoid arthritis, and the severity of radiation-induced acute liver injury ( Han et al, 2019 ; Liu et al, 2020 ; Sui et al, 2022 ). Nevertheless, a decreased level of FGL1 is detected in the serum of psoriasis patients ( Sun et al, 2022 ). Above evidences show a controversial role of FGL1 in inflammatory diseases.…”

Psoriasis: What Is New in Markers of Disease Severity?

“…Additionally, the study highlighted that measuring serum FGL1 levels provides better results in assessing psoriasis severity compared to serum IL-17 levels. Furthermore, a negative correlation was observed between HDL cholesterol levels and FGL1, indicating a possible role of FGL1 in psoriasis forms associated with lipid metabolism disorders [16].…”