Assessment of Psoriasis Severity Using Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) and its Association with Lipid Profile Parameters

Objective: To explore potential association between specific lipid profile parameters and PASI scores in psoriatic patients at a tertiary care Hospital. Methodology: A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out on patients attending the skin outpatient department and the Diagnostic Research Laboratory of the Department of Physiology at Liaquat University of Medical & Health Sciences Jamshoro/Hyderabad, from February to August 2022. Diagnosed patients of Psoriasis between 18 and 50 years, male and female were included. A 5ml blood sample was taken from each participant in fasting and the samples were used to perform a lipid profile analysis. All financial costs related to the investigations were covered by the researchers. Results: The average age of patients with psoriasis was 45.99±10.33 (range 18-60 years). Out of the total 102 patients, 76 (74.5%) were male patients and 26 (25.5%) were female. The mean duration of psoriasis was 6.46 ± 4.49 years. For total cholesterol, 60 patients (58.8%) had increased levels > 200 mg/dL, in 68 patients (66.7%) low-density lipoprotein (LDL), increased levels > 130 mg/dL, in terms of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), in (57.8%) patients it was 150 mg/dL. Patients with moderate and severe psoriasis exhibited higher rates of abnormal lipid profiles compared to those with mild psoriasis. Significant p-values were found for total cholesterol, LDL, and HDL levels, indicating associations with psoriasis severity. However, triglyceride levels showed no significant difference across the severity groups. Conclusion: This study revealed elevated lipid profiles among psoriatic patients, potentially contributing to lipid profile abnormalities. The high frequency of dyslipidemia observed is closely linked to the severity of psoriasis.