Goeckerman's therapy (GT) of psoriasis is based on daily application of pharmacy grade coal tar on affected skin with subsequent exposure to UV light. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of Goeckerman's therapy of psoriasis on the levels of proangiogenic chemokines ENA-78 (CXCL5, Epithelial Cell Derived Neutrophil Attractant- 78), GRO alpha (CXCL1, Growth-Related Oncogene), IL-8 (CXCL8, Interleukin-8), MCP-1 (CCL2, Monocyte Chemotactic (Chemoattractant) Protein 1) and RANTES (CCL5, Regulated on Activation of Normal T Cell Expressed and Secreted) in peripheral blood of 22 children's patients with psoriasis. 22 otherwise healthy children serve as a control group. The serum levels of chemokines were determined by commercial membrane protein array technique (RayBiotech, USA). Efficacy of Goeckerman's therapy was delineated by PASI score. Disease activity was significantly diminished by Goeckerman's therapy (p<0.001). Serum levels of GRO alpha and MCP-1 in patients before GT were significantly higher than those measured in healthy blood donors (GRO alpha: p=0.0128 and MCP-1: p=0.0003). Serum levels of GRO alpha, MCP-1 and RANTES were significantly diminished by GT (GRO alpha: p=0.002, MCP-1: p=0.048 and RANTES: p=0.0131). Compared to the healthy controls, serum level of MCP-1 remained significantly increased in psoriasis patients after GT (p<0.0001). In conclusion, we found that the GT of psoriasis influenced the serum levels of proinflammatory and proangiogenic chemokines, especially GRO alpha, MCP-1 and RANTES. It could be the cause for decreased proangiogenic activity which is described after GT of psoriasis.

Charles University Prague Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Hradec Králové

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