Abstract: Objective To investigate the expression of IFN-γ and IL-18 in patients with progressive psoriasis and its clinical significance. Methods Twenty cases of psoriasis vulgaris, 19 cases of erythroder-mic psoriasis and 10 oases of pustular psoriasis were studied. Sandwich ELISA was used to detect the plasma level of IFN-γ and IL-18, or supernatant level of IFN-γ and IL-18 in PBMC culture under the stimula-tion of staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB). Results The plasma level of IFN-γ in patients with psoriasis vulgaris, erythrodermic psoriasis and pustular psoriasis was higher than that in healthy control. The plasma level of IL-18 in progressive psoriasis vulgaris was higher than that in healthy control. The supernatant level of IFN-γ and IL-18 in PBMC culture in progressive psoriasis vulgaris were higher than that in normal control, with a positive correlation between IFN-γ level and IL-18 level (r=0.55, P<0.05). Conclusion There is an increasing level of IFN-γ and IL-18 in the patients with progressive psoriasis, which may play an important roles in the pathogenesis of psoriasis.

Key words: Psoriasis, Interferon type Ⅱ, Interleukin-18