Higher levels of MUFA and PUFA closely associated with psoriasis severity: study

A recent study published in the journal of Nutrients found that higher levels of monounsaturated and saturated fatty acids could be associated with more severe psoriasis. This is a complicated systemic illness that presents with joint problems and inflammatory skin lesions. The comorbidities include cardiovascular problems like hypertension and/or coronary heart disease, as well as metabolic disorders like diabetes and obesity. The etiology of psoriasis is often divided into two phases as the maintenance of the pathogenic condition and the beginning/triggering of the illness. In the start phase, external triggers including stress, damage to the skin, or infections combine with a genetic propensity to cause psoriasis. During the maintenance phase, immune cells such as dendritic cells, keratinocytes, and T-cells initiate a persistent inflammatory response that perpetuates the illness through an intricate web of cytokines and signaling pathways.

Omega-3 fatty acids reduce inflammation by decreasing IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-6, whereas omega-6 fatty acids promote inflammation. Mariola Marchlewicz and colleagues undertook this study to analyze the fatty acid composition in erythrocyte membranes of psoriasis patients in relation to body mass index and disease severity

For this study, 58 adult psoriasis patients from the Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin's Department of Skin and Venereal Diseases were eligible. The patients received a physical examination and an interview where the severity of their psoriasis was determined. To determine their body mass index, the weight and height of each patient were assessed (BMI). The biochemical parameters ( AST, ALT, total cholesterol) and inflammatory markers (CRP) in the blood were measured three months into the therapy. The fatty acid (PUFA, SFA, and MUFA) extraction from erythrocyte membranes was done, and a gas chromatograph was used to perform a qualitative and quantitative profile analysis.

The erythrocyte membranes of patients with severe psoriasis who needed systemic treatment had a different fatty acid profile than those of patients with less severe psoriasis who were receiving topical treatment. Specifically, there was a significantly reduced amount of polyunsaturated fatty acids (omega-3), which have an anti-inflammatory effect; a substantially greater amount of saturated fatty acids; and a decreased concentration of oleic acid (omega-9). Pro-inflammatory arachidonic acid was detected in erythrocyte membranes at considerably greater quantities and blood AST and ALT values in psoriasis patients with a BMI of at least 25. Overall, the erythrocyte membranes have a different fatty acid composition, including decreased levels of PUFAs. This study found that high levels of SFA and low levels of oleic acid (n-9) may be associated with a more severe form of psoriasis.

Source:

Marchlewicz, M., Polakowska, Z., Maciejewska-Markiewicz, D., Stachowska, E., Jakubiak, N., Kiedrowicz, M., Rak-Załuska, A., Duchnik, M., Wajs-Syrenicz, A., & Duchnik, E. (2024). Fatty Acid Profile of Erythrocyte Membranes in Patients with Psoriasis. In Nutrients (Vol. 16, Issue 12, p. 1799). MDPI AG. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16121799